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U.S. Attorney Peter Strasser ‘79L Warns of COVID-19 Scams in Op/Ed

strasser_cropped U.S. Attorney Peter Strasser ‘79L Warns of COVID-19 Scams in Op/EdPeter Strasser ’79L

Peter Strasser ‘79L, U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, has published an opinion piece in Louisiana’s The Advocate urging people to be on the lookout for scams and fraud related to the outbreak of the Coronavirus. Louisiana has been hard-hit by the outbreak and is currently experiencing the world’s fastest growth in new virus cases.

“The stress of disaster brings people together. But if a crisis is a test of character, not everyone passes it. We in law enforcement are seeing examples of the other side of human nature, namely the con artists and other lawbreakers trying to profit on public anxiety,” wrote Strasser.

“You can take steps to protect yourself from these schemes. Ignore any claims of a vaccine or cure that comes from an email, phone call or unsolicited contact. If a vaccine is announced, you will hear about it from legitimate news sources and government agencies. Do not click on links or open email attachments from unknown or unverified sources.”

Strasser, whose expansive legal career includes private practice and service in the Navy and at the Department of Justice, was sworn in as U.S. attorney in September 2018.

Read the entire commentary online.

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