Protect Yourself from COVID 19 Scams

Protect Yourself

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Stay CyberSafe from COVID-19 Scams

There are a lot of great things happening online to help bring people together during the COVID-19 crisis.  Unfortunately, there are also a lot of scams exploiting people’s concerns and good will.  Here are some of the things you need to watch out for:

  1. Fake charity appeals

You might have seen some charity appeals that are genuinely helping to fight the virus, like the British Red Cross’s appeal, but be aware that there are also plenty of fakes. The same charity issued a warning about fake emails claiming to be them.

       2. Phishing emails and texts

To check out if the appeal you are looking at is genuine or fake, always visit the website of the charity by searching for them online- don’t follow the links you are being given in emails or texts.

 

Here are a few phishing emails and texts we have seen doing the rounds at the moment:

A phishing email which claims to be from HMRC. The email instructs the user to claim a tex rebate but it's a scam.

A phisng email claiming to be from the UK government offering COVID 19 aid funds.

A phishing email claiming to be from the world health organisation. The email instructs user to click to see more about the corona virus but it's a scam

Four phishing texts related to COVID 19. The texts are scams semt from cyber criminals.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


Many scams are sophisticated and convincing, stealing the logos and visuals from trusted authorities.  Even if you are expecting to receive an email about COVID-19, you should check the following before clicking on any links in the email or engaging with the people who sent the email. 

  1. The links. Phishing emails and texts usually have what looks like a legitimate link in the body of the message. Always hover over links to see where you’re being directed to- if it’s somewhere you’re not expecting, i.e. a website with a different domain from the text, it’s likely a phishing email. If in doubt don’t click the link.
  2. The sender. Look carefully at the sender’s email address. Are they who they say they are?

  3. The call to action. Phishing emails all have one thing in common and it’s that they ask for an unnecessary call to action. If the email says anything like “click here to add funds” or if it requests personal information, then it’s likely to be a scam.

 To find out more about more on staying safe online check out our 10 Steps to Cyber Success.  

Be aware it could happen to you 

  • Over 50% of UK crime is cyber crime
  • Report incidents straight away 

Think before you click

  • Be aware of phishing emails
  • There has been a large increase in the number of phishing emails related to COVID 19
  • Curiosity, urgency, fear and greed are just some of the tactics used to get you to bite! 

Don't get caught by scams

  • It's not just emails, social engineering scams can be SMS, phone calls or social media
  • There are many scams asking you to donate to COVID 19 relief or asking you to claim tax rebates
  • Watch out for a scam where parents of school children are asked to sign up free school meals- this is a fake text created by fraudsters
  • Trust your instincts – if it feels wrong then it probably is 

 Keep up with news and training

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