Phishing Scam
The World Health Organization classified the coronavirus infection as a global emergency last week. While countries like China are trying to contain transmission of the virus, online scammers have already begun exploiting the uncertainty and fear.
A sample phishing email detected by security agencies, shows attackers disseminating malicious links and PDFs that claim to contain information on how to protect yourself from the spread of the disease. “Go through the attached document on safety measures regarding the spreading of corona virus,” reads the message, which purports to come from a virologist. “This little measure can save you.”
Email scammers often try to elicit a sense of fear and urgency in victims. It’s not surprising that they would attempt to incorporate the coronavirus into that playbook so quickly. But the move illustrates how phishing attempts so consistently hew to certain time-tested topics and themes.
The hackers use phishing as a scam on Internet to get hold of your valuable information. You may come across pop up messages or suspicious emails from these fraudsters. In most of the cases this scam takes place through emails. These mails may ask you to update information about your personal accounts. Asking for confirmation of the confidential information, these spam mails will guide you to visit websites, which appear to belong to legitimate and authorized organization at a glance. But these websites are actually fake sites, which are operated by fraudsters to take over sensitive information from you.
Phishers know all too well that during uncertain times — whether it’s international conflict or coronavirus — people become desperate for information and reassurance. Protecting yourself from falling into these traps can be difficult, but there are some helpful steps you can take. As you’ve probably heard countless times, take a moment to think before downloading attachments or clicking links in any email or message, especially from someone you don’t personally know. If you have to interact, try to confirm that the email address is valid and spelled correctly, or use another method of communication to confirm that everything is above board. Most importantly, trust your gut. If something elicits strong emotions or a sense of urgency — or just feels off — pause to reconsider.
This post was also published in the “Tech Jargon of the Week” column in The Campbell Express
