Consumer Relief Package Scam

As the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic continues, attackers are leveraging consumer anticipation of tax relief and government-issued economic stimulus plans. These attacks trick victims into dropping their guard and clicking a malicious link.

PROTECT YOURSELF

Think before you click - never click on a link in an email or text unless you know the sender and have a clear idea where the link will take you.

Help Desk Impersonation

At a time when technical support teams are helping employees transition to remote workstations, cybercriminals are impersonating IT help desks to take advantage of their increased visibility and communication.

PROTECT YOURSELF

Watch for email senders that use suspicious or misleading domain names. 

Safety Measures Turned Malicious

This phishing attack impersonates a coronavirus specialist from the World Health Organization (WHO). An email urges the victim to click a “Safety Measures” button. When clicked, they are taken to a spoofed WHO site and prompted to provide their email address and password.

PROTECT YOURSELF

The WHO will never ask for your username or password to access safety information. Verify communications by contacting WHO directly.

Internal Organization Alert

This phishing attack takes a corporate approach by impersonating a company’s president to deliver an attachment disguised as tips to prevent infection. The attachment is designed to infect an employee’s machine with malware.

PROTECT YOURSELF

Do not click on links or open any attachments from sources you are not familiar with.

New Cases in Your Area

This attack preys on the fears of Coronavirus spreading near the victims’ location. Disguised as a CDC alert, this phishing email tricks victims into clicking a malicious link by offering an updated list of new cases of the virus documented near them.

PROTECT YOURSELF

Be wary of third-party source spreading information about COVID-19. Refer to the official CDC website for updates on COVID-19.

The Donation Scam

Like the tried-and-true donation scams used after natural disasters, this phishing attack solicits donations to fight the spread of the coronavirus. The attack imitates a CDC emergency outreach email and asks victims to deposit money into a Bitcoin account.

PROTECT YOURSELF

Before you give to any charity, do the research necessary to verify that the organization is legitimate.