Look out! The bad guys are preying on your fear and are using the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak to conduct social engineering scams.

Below are some examples of the types of scams you should be on the lookout for:

1. Emails that appear to be from organizations such as the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), or the WHO (World Health Organization or Health Canada). The scammers have crafted emails that appear to come from these sources, but they actually contain malicious phishing links or dangerous attachments.

2. Emails that ask for charity donations for studies, doctors, or victims that have been affected by the COVID-19 Coronavirus. Scammers often create fake charity emails after global phenomenon’s occur, like natural disasters, or health scares like the COVID-19.

3. Emails that claim to have a "new" or "updated" list of cases of Coronavirus in your area. These emails could contain dangerous links and information designed to scare you into clicking on the link.

4. Phone calls from cybercriminals posing as support personnel from the companies or services that your organization may be using to allow you to work remotely. Typically, the caller will try to gain your trust by stating your job title, email address, and any other information that they may have found online (or on your LinkedIn profile). Then, the caller claims that they will send you an email that includes a link you need to click for important information.

Keep in mind, these are only a few examples and these scam artists are constantly coming up with new ways to fool you.

What Can I Do?

Remain cautious! And always remember the following to protect yourself from scams like this:

• Never click on links or download attachments from an email that you weren’t expecting.
• If you receive a suspicious email that appears to come from an official organization such as the WHO or CDC, report the email to the official organization through their website.
• If you want to make a charity donation, go to the charity website of your choice to submit your payment. Type the charity’s web address in your browser instead of clicking on any links in emails, or other messages.
• Never provide your personal information or work information over the phone, unless you are the one who initiated the call.
• If you receive a suspicious phone call, hang up the phone immediately and notify the appropriate team in your organization.
• Scammers can spoof any phone number they like. Therefore, even if a call looks like it's coming from a legitimate source, it could be a scam.

Stop, Look, and Think - Don't be fooled
Compu-SOLVE Technologies