1、CRS Legal Sidebar Prepared for Members and Committees of Congress Legal SidebarLegal Sidebari i An Overview of Federal Criminal Laws Implicated by the COVID-19 Pandemic April 13, 2020 As numerous recent incidents indicate, the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemics impact extends to the world of c
2、rime. News stories abound of attempts to profit from the pandemic by stockpiling masks, hand sanitizer, and other staples to sell at a significant markup. Reports have also circulated about scams involving the sale of fake COVID-19 test kits and cures, counterfeit surgical masks, substandard hand sa
3、nitizer, and unauthorized medicines. Other fraudulent activities have not involved sales at all. Some have reportedly tried to use the pandemic to solicit donations to illegitimate charities. In addition, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has reported a spike in cyber-threats, including COVI
4、D-19-related phishing emailsmessages designed to trick recipients into divulging personal information so the sender may access, for example, the recipients email or bank accounts. Still other COVID-19-related illicit conduct is of a more violent nature, as evidenced by recent reports of individuals
