Scammers using coronavirus fears to trick San Antonio residents into buying expensive water filtration systems - KSAT San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – Scammers are taking advantage of COVID-19 fears and tricking some San Antonio homeowners into installing expensive water filtration systems.

The Water Quality Association (WQA) said the scam is becoming more popular as a significant number of people are home during the pandemic.

A woman, who has chosen not to identify herself, shared her story with KSAT as a way to warn others.

"We're new homeowners. We had a door-to-door salesman come by, and he was offering to test our water," the woman said. "He started telling us how bad our water was and that he wanted to sell us a water purification system. He had us fill out this document with our Social (Security numbers) and our ID."

Watch out for these COVID-19 scams

The form she received with an $8,000 price tag for the filtration system included seals from the Better Business Bureau and the WQA.

The WQA is a trade organization that represents 2,500 companies worldwide that undergo extra training and sign ethics codes to get a seal.

When the women went to the Better Business Bureau and WQA websites, she realized the company wasn't affiliated with either organization.

The woman called both organizations, but by the time she heard back, the company had already started installing the water system.

"I lost my trust in them, so I just wanted to cancel," she said. "(The salesman) actually told me that he'll remove the system if I remove the complaint off of (the Better Business Bureau website).

While the woman continues to deal with the company, she got an independent water test and was told she didn't need the system in the first place. Luckily for her, she hadn't paid for it yet.

"People are misusing our logo constantly. They seem to be targeting lower-income and disadvantaged communities," said David Loveday, with WQA. "We have some cases -- (scammers) actually go door to door saying they're from the Water Quality Association. We don't go door to door, and we don't sell products."

Loveday said WQA gets about 10 reports of scams like this each month. He said in some instances, the salesperson will falsely claim coronavirus has infected the water, and it needs to be filtered.

"We and the EPA have found no evidence of COVID(-19) being transmitted in drinking water, so that is not an issue," Loveday said.

FBI issues warning about COVID-19-related scams

Before homeowners sign any forms, they should check the salesperson's logos and confirm with the associations online or by phone.

Anyone who has been a victim of scammers is asked to report the incident to the Attorney General’s Office, the Better Business Bureau and WQA.

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Scammers using coronavirus fears to trick San Antonio residents into buying expensive water filtration systems - KSAT San Antonio
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