Where most West Virginians see danger from COVID-19 and often respond with compassion for others, a few scum-of-the-earth types see opportunity. They are engaging in all sorts of scams, ranging from offering quack cures for the coronavirus to posing as public health authorities to gain personal information for use in stealing our money.

State Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and U.S. Attorneys Bill Powell in the Northern District and Mike Stuart in the Southern District have launched a Coronavirus Fraud Task Force to find and punish such criminals.

Good for them. Criminals capitalizing on COVID-19 should sit out the epidemic in jail cells.

If you need to report a scam, call the state Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-368-8808 or file a written complaint online at www.wvago.gov.