Cybercriminals are continuing to find ways to lure people into their scams, building on fear and emotion about the current pandemic. We anticipate this will continue to increase as the stimulus checks from the government move forward.
You may see promotions for products that claim to prevent, treat, or cure the COVID-19 virus, requests for money for fraudulent charities, and general misinformation.
In a recent scam, cybercriminals sent emails that appeared to be from a hospital, warning that the recipient had been exposed to the virus through contact with a colleague, friend, or family member. Attached to the email was a “pre-filled” form to download and take to the hospital. Don’t be fooled! The “form” attached was actually a sophisticated piece of malware. Again, these threats rely on panic and fear to bypass rational thinking. Stay alert!
From our recent collection of articles regarding COVID-19, you can find out more about working safely away from campus here.