In some ways I’m surprised it took so long. After all, the new coronavirus, COVID-19, was first identified at the end of December.

You’ve probably seen the reports of people attempting to profit from the pandemic, selling hand sanitizer or toilet paper at inflated prices to a panicked public. In a free market economy I am somewhat amused by that, and amused that some of them were shut down by Amazon, leaving them with huge stocks of product and nowhere to sell it.

The email went straight to my spam folder. Very appropriate. The subject read: “Protection from Coronavirus with Immunity Oil.”

In a word in which people are panicking about supplies of hand sanitizer, it was only a matter of time before the scammers jumped on board. I’m curious as to how many people are duped into paying for a product that just won’t work: There is no oil that will protect you from COVID-19. If there were, there wouldn’t be such a big push to develop a vaccine.

Nor does the line “one Mom has found a solution to fight back against the coronavirus outbreak” inspire much confidence. I Googled the line, ostensibly from a news report, and came up empty.

I didn’t bother clicking on the links, so I can’t tell you how much this miracle oil sells for. Too much for what it offers.

If you are concerned about the current pandemic, there are lots of reputable places where you can get reliable information on prevention and/or treatment. You could start with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US.

If it shows up in your spam folder, claiming, as this one did, to be “Miracle Virus Oil, you won’t lose out by deleting it unread.