More information:

• Coronavirus: Scammers Follow the Headlines—Federal Trade Commission
•  Scams Spread as Fraudsters Follow the Headlines—AARP

The situation for the authorization of imported, non-NIOSH approved respirators manufactured abroad continues to evolve. For updated information on the use of KN95 and other masks from China, go to https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-emergency-use-authorizations-medical-devices/personal-protective-equipment-euas#appendixa. For information on masks from other countries, go to https://www.fda.gov/media/136731/download.

Loans: Consider your options before taking out a loan. For example, try talking with your creditors to negotiate more time to pay bills.  If you do take out a loan, borrow only what you will be able to afford to pay back.  Shop around for the lowest interest rate.  Carefully review whether add-on products, such as insurance, are worth the cost. If you are considering taking out a loan, be cautious when seeking loans from companies seen advertised on TV or online. These companies may be owned or affiliated with federally recognized Indian Tribes, which are not licensed or regulated by the state. While some of these advertisements or websites do include notice of Tribal affiliation, this is not always the case. Colorado has found instances in which these companies have charged significantly more than the legal interest rate in Colorado and executed wage garnishments without a court order. Here is a list of lenders licensed and regulated by Department of Law. Auto loans: If you are having trouble paying your auto loan payments your lender may have options that will help. You may want to consider requesting changing the date of your payment, requesting a payment plan, and asking for a payment extension. Colorado law provides borrower protections, including a notice and period of time to cure default before repossession and limits on late fees. Check your credit reports:  If you’re working with lenders on payment assistance programs or forbearance, routinely check your credit reports to make sure the statements are accurate and that any delinquencies have not been improperly reported. Your credit reports and scores play an important role in your future financial opportunities. Debt Collection: If you currently have a debt in collections, you can work with collectors to identify a realistic repayment plan. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers a number of resources for contacting and negotiating with debt collection companies. Charitable Donations:  Do your homework when it comes to donations, whether through charities or crowdfunding sites. Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation. If someone wants donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money, don’t do it. Investment scams:  Be alert to “investment opportunities.” The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is warning people about online promotions, including on social media, claiming that the products or services of publicly-traded companies can prevent, detect, or cure coronavirus and that the stock of these companies will dramatically increase in value as a result.

• Attorney General Phil Weiser leads bipartisan effort of 39 state attorneys general in urging Congress to fund expanded access to broadband

May 21, 2020 (DENVER, Colo.) — Attorney General Phil Weiser today led a bipartisan coalition of 39 attorneys general in urging Congress to help ensure that all Americans have the home internet connectivity necessary to participate in telemedicine, teleschooling, and telework as part of any legislation that provides relief and recovery resources related to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

As U.S. residents know after weeks of learning, working, socializing, and seeking healthcare from home during COVID-19, internet access is critical for basic needs.

• Attorney General Phil Weiser leads bipartisan effort of 39 state attorneys general in urging Congress to fund expanded access to broadband

May 21, 2020 (DENVER, Colo.) — Attorney General Phil Weiser today led a bipartisan coalition of 39 attorneys general in urging Congress to help ensure that all Americans have the home internet connectivity necessary to participate in telemedicine, teleschooling, and telework as part of any legislation that provides relief and recovery resources related to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Attorney General Phil Weiser joins coalition of 34 states urging Congress to pass legislation allowing marijuana-related business to access the banking system 

May 19, 2020 (DENVER, Colo.) – Attorney General Phil Weiser today led a bipartisan coalition of 34 state and territorial Attorneys General urging Congress to pass as part of upcoming COVID-19 relief legislation the federal Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act (H.R. 1595) or similar measures that would give legal marijuana-related businesses access to the federal banking system.

“Many legitimate businesses have been pushed into cash-dependent models because they don’t have access to the federal banking system. At a time when COVID-19 has exacerbated health and safety concerns related to cash exchanges, now more than ever it is vital Congress act on this point,” Weiser said. “We in Colorado will continue to be at the forefront of defending our businesses and their employees.”

• Attorney General Phil Weiser tells businesses to stop illegally marketing COVID-19 tests that are not approved by the FDA

May 1, 2020 (DENVER, Colo.)—Attorney General Phil Weiser has sent cease and desist letters to three businesses that marketed tests for COVID-19 infection or immunity and overstated the reliability and accuracy of the tests.

• Attorney General Phil Weiser urges federal government agencies to provide additional financial relief on mortgage payments, protect stimulus check payments from garnishment

April 24, 2020 (DENVER, Colo.)— Attorney General Phil Weiser has joined with other state attorneys general in urging various federal government agencies to provide relief for people experiencing financial hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“During this time of unprecedented financial challenges, Coloradans need additional relief in making payments on their federally-backed mortgages. They also need assurance that they will not have negative information on their credit reports for taking advantage of forbearance or alternate repayment opportunities, and that credit reporting agencies will immediately investigate and correct fraudulent or inaccurate information associated with their credit reports,” said Weiser. “By supporting our consumers and borrowers, we can ensure they are able to meet the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and are ready to help our state move out of this health and economic crisis.”

• Attorney General Weiser announces expanded payment relief for student loan borrowers

April 23, 2020 (DENVER, Colo.)—Attorney General Phil Weiser announced today that Colorado has secured relief options with many private student loan servicers to expand on the protections the federal government granted to federal student loan borrowers.

The federal CARES Act provides much needed relief for many borrowers with student loans, including the suspension of monthly payments, interest, and involuntary collection activity until Sept. 30, 2020. However, the CARES Act left out millions of student loan borrowers with federal loans that are not owned by the U.S. government as well as loans made by private lenders.

• Attorney General Phil Weiser joins coalition demanding a halt to the federal SNAP rule that will leave thousands of Coloradans hungry during COVID-19 pandemic

April 21, 2020 (DENVER, Colo.)— Attorney General Phil Weiser today joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general and the City of New York demanding that the administration immediately suspend action on a federal rule that could cut food assistance for more than 30,000 Coloradans a month, 11,000 of whom are children and 7,300 of whom are seniors over the age of 60.

“Coloradans are showing extraordinary resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this challenging time, when so many are out of work, it is unconscionable to take away something as vital as access to food,” said Weiser. “It is thus critical that, especially amid our current health crisis, we continue to work together to protect our residents’ access to food and nutrition.”

• Mortenson Company agrees to pay $650,000 to Attorney General’s Office, build a COVID-19 related project in Colorado Convention Center bid-rigging settlement April 13, 2020 (DENVER, Colo.)— Attorney General Phil Weiser today announced an agreement with Mortenson Company and several individual employees to settle an investigation involving their alleged role in a bid-rigging scheme related to the City and County of Denver’s plans to upgrade and expand the Colorado Convention Center.

• Don’t Mess with Colorado: Attorney General Phil Weiser says Gunnison County public health order is constitutional and calls for collaborative problem solving April 10, 2020 (DENVER, Colo.)— Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser released the following statement supporting the legality of Gunnison County’s public health order that local officials issued to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic:

“Gunnison County, like many Colorado mountain communities, faces a serious public health crisis because of COVID-19. Colorado law recognizes that, to protect their communities, local public health authorities are often best situated to make decisions and adopt and enforce public health orders based on their expertise and knowledge of local circumstances. Governor Polis’ stay-at-home executive order also specifically authorizes local government to adopt more stringent orders than the State."

• Attorney General Phil Weiser releases top consumer complaints related to coronavirus March 31, 2020 (DENVER, Colo.)— Attorney General Phil Weiser today released preliminary data on the top consumer complaints reported to the Colorado Department of Law related to the coronavirus pandemic.In March, consumers submitted approximately 300 coronavirus-related complaints, according to preliminary data, largely centered on pricing (37%) and refund (45%) issues. Other complaints include robocalls and texts offering either false deals with merchants, stay-at-home work schemes, or other inducements to get people to click on fake links. These links can then infect their devices or steal people’s personal information.
• Attorney General Phil Weiser warns about coronavirus relief check scammers March 30, 2020 (DENVER, Colo.)— As the coronavirus public health crisis takes a growing toll on Coloradans, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser today issued a consumer advisory warning that scammers are already trying to take advantage of Coloradans by using the checks the federal government is scheduled to send many Coloradans as a part of the coronavirus stimulus package as bait to encourage Coloradans to share bank account numbers or other sensitive personal information.
• Attorney General Phil Weiser says speedy trial deadlines should be extended to keep Coloradans safe from COVID-19 March 23, 2020 — “I urge Colorado’s courts to recognize that, with the need to protect all trial participants from the deadly COVID-19 virus, trials should be rescheduled, and the speedy trial deadline should be recalculated under both of these statutory exceptions.”
• Attorney General Phil Weiser calls for a statewide pause on eviction proceedings during the COVID-19 state of emergency March 22, 2020 — “So far, courts in Denver, Mesa County, Weld County, and Boulder County, among others, have taken this important step. I urge all Colorado courts to join in recognizing the urgent need to pause all eviction orders during this emergency. Nobody should be without their home as we all grapple with this crisis.”
• State law enforcement and public health officials urge Coloradans to follow state public health order during coronavirus emergency March 20, 2020 — Officials from the Attorney General’s Office, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), and the Colorado Department of Public Safety are urging Colorado residents to exercise civic and personal responsibility and voluntarily comply with the public health order. Leaders from these state agencies, however, said they will use their authority under state law to enforce the order when necessary and appropriate.
• Attorney General Phil Weiser urges student loan servicers and other creditors to exercise restraint and hold off debt collection efforts March 18, 2020 — “Today, alongside House Majority Leader Alec Garnett and Rep. Leslie Herod, I urge student loan servicers, creditors, and debt collectors to refrain from mandatory debt collection efforts from those who are unable to pay because of their financial circumstance.”
• Attorney General Phil Weiser urges businesses to refund or credit cancellations due to coronavirus March 16, 2020 — “To do their part, businesses can act responsibly by providing refunds or credits to consumers who will not be able to use their services, whether hotel reservations, airline travel, or other areas where accommodations can be made. I commend the many businesses that have already taken the lead by honoring the need to curtail travel and large events. For those who have yet to do so, I would strongly encourage them to act quickly.
• Attorney General Phil Weiser warns Coloradans to be on the lookout for Coronavirus scams March 12, 2020 — “Scammers take advantage of natural disasters and emergencies,” said Weiser. “By learning how to avoid scams related to Coronavirus, we can work together to ensure no one in our state is taken in by these malicious attempts to defraud Colorado consumers during this public health emergency.”

• Colorado's COVID-19 website—Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
• Frequently Asked Questions: Enforcement of Public Health Orders—Colorado Department of Law
• What You Should Know About COVID-19—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Colorado COVID-19 Case Summary—Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
• Colorado Health Emergency Leave with Pay (“Colorado HELP”) Rules—Colorado Department of Labor and Employment
• Reducing Fear and Taking Care of Yourself—Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
• Economic impact payments—IRS

Click here to sign up for COVID-19 updates, fraud alerts, financial tips, state efforts, and a variety of other helpful tips and resources from the Colorado Attorney General's Office, Office of Community Engagement.