Day to day the media is reminding you to wash your hands and avoid large crowds as new coronavirus cases pop up across the world. What they should also be discussing is what else you should be concerned about; your cybersecurity. Global disasters such as the coronavirus creates a golden opportunity for fraudsters because the whole world is informed and constantly trying to learn more about said disaster. This causes a greater potential for impulse clicking on suspicious emails or attachments. The fraudsters know this. Starting in February 2020, a new coronavirus phishing scam has popped up in the United States. So, not only do you have to worry about the coronavirus outbreak hitting your area but now you must be on the lookout for the latest e-mail scam! These scam artists are trying to prey on the fear of the outbreak, hoping that you’ll impulse click on their seemingly legitimate e-mail and it’s working.
So how are these cybercriminals getting you to click on their e-mails and links? Scammers are sending e-mails pretending to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the World Health Organization (WHO) offering to provide an update on confirmed coronavirus cases in your area or luring you in with a link to see “safety measures” to combat the spread of the virus. Why do consumers believe these e-mails are real? One reason may be that the sender’s e-mail address at first glance could look very legitimate. The scammers create addresses that look very similar to the real organizations, making it very hard to catch. Another possible reason is that they also will copy and paste the organization’s logo in the e-mail to create a sense of legitimacy. Let’s look at a few examples of fake e-mails below. ..