By Chris Pierson
As the world pauses to grapple with the effects of coronavirus, cybercriminals have not let up. In fact, they continue to prey on a weary public with an ever-evolving array of tactics to commit hacking, fraud, identify theft, and other cyber crimes. We must stay vigilant.
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As of March 31, the Federal Trade Commission advised that the top categories of coronavirus-related fraud complaints include:
- travel and vacation related reports about cancellations and refunds,
- reports about problems with online shopping,
- mobile texting scams
- government and business imposter scams.
Coronavirus-related consumer fraud complaints have resulted in a reported loss of $4.77 million, with a reported median loss of $598.
Examples of coronavirus scams
- One phishing scam claims to be a drug company researching a cure for coronavirus and asks you to install a program on your computer to help them run simulations for a cure. However, the only action that program will be taking will be to steal your information.
- Trojans are incorporating text from coronavirus news stories into their malicious code, in hopes to evade anti-virus detection. This malware may be delivered as attachments in phishing emails or links.
- Another phishing scam is delivered as a malicious spam email with an attached file claiming to contain World Health Organization (WHO) information about protecting children and businesses from the virus. If a user downloads the file, malware is installed that can steal web browsing data and track what the user types.
- Malicious apps are popping up in the various app stores. This Android app claims to track the virus across the globe, but instead is a ransomware attack in disguise.
- Dozens upon dozens of websites are being spun up by criminals, with different “Calls To Action.” Some include assisting victims of the coronavirus. One website in particular is just a front for recruiting “money mules”.
- And this map hopes you’ll click on it when browsing the internet, and in doing so download malware onto your computer.
Please join me for a live webinar on Thursday, April 16, from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for a live webinar. I will discuss the latest cybersecurity and privacy issues resulting from the coronavirus. I will also share some tips on how you can protect yourself against these emerging threats.
Chris Pierson is CEO and founder of BlackCloak, a concierge cybersecurity protection suite for high-net-worth individuals and top C-Suite executives. BlackCloak protects customers from financial loss, cybercrime, hacking, reputational damage, privacy exposure, and identity theft. Visit its website to take a free cyber risk assessment.