Be Wary Of These Covid-19 Scams

In the article linked below, BBC News warns of different Covid-19 themed frauds and scams. Many malicious actors follow the headlines just like the rest of us, and when they see a crisis like Covid-19, they take the opportunity to jump on the fear and try to scam as many people as they can. 

The article warns of these scams to be wary of:

• Covid-19 Financial Support Scams

• Fake government emails, which look to be from a government department and offer financial grants. The emails contain a link which can steal both personal and financial information.

• Scam emails offering access to a “Covid-19 relief fund”, and encouraging users to fill in a form and hand over personal information.

• Official-looking emails offering “tax reductions.” The email is reported to contain a link that takes users to a fake government website which can harvest users personal and financial information.

• E-mails offering to help Benefit recipients in applying for universal credit, but which fraudsters will grab some of the payment as an advance for their "services".

• Email about claiming fake school meal funds and fake government grants.
  
  

• Health Related Scams

• Phishing emails claiming that the user has been in contact with someone who has been diagnosed with Covid-19. The links lead to fake websites that are used to steal personal and financial information or even infect the device with malware.
  For official information on contact tracing efforts in Maryland please visit https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/contact-tracing.

• Fake ads for non-existent Covid-19 related products, such as hand sanitizer and face masks. They simply will take the users’ money and send them nothing.

• Offers of fake Covid-19 test kits and hand sanitizer, or even products claiming to treat or prevent Covid-19.
  
  

• Social Distancing Related Scams

• Fake emails and texts claiming to be from “TV Licensing”, telling people they are eligible for six months of free TV because of Covid-19. Users are then told there has been a problem with their card and are asked to click on a link that takes them to a fake website designed to steal users persona and financial information.

• Emails asking people to update their TV subscription services payment details by clicking on a link which is designed to steal credit card information.

• Fake profiles on social media sites designed to try and manipulate users into giving them their money. 

• Fake investment advertisements on social media sites encouraging users to “take advantage of the financial downturn.” Bitcoin platforms are using emails and adverts on social media platforms to encourage users to put money into fake companies using fake websites.

• Malicious actors cold-calling home residents offering to do shopping errands.

• Messages telling the user that they have been fined for leaving their home more than once a day. Links in these messages are designed to steal a victim’s personal and financial information or to install malicious software onto the user’s device.
  
  

• What We See at UMBC

• At UMBC, DoIT is getting reports of work-from-home phishing emails. These phishing emails follow a similar pattern of offering a work-from-home opportunity and ask for personal information like personal email and home address. They will then send a fraudulent check to the user which should not be cashed. 

• Recently DoIT has also seen phishing emails attempting to impersonate UMBC staff and asking for gift cards or phone numbers.

For more information on these and other phishing attempts at UMBC please visit the DoIT Security page which can be found here https://itsecurity.umbc.edu/.

If you do receive any email that you suspect is a scam, please do not click on any URL or reply. Either of those actions confirms to the sender that your email address is valid. Please forward the message (with the email headers) to security@umbc.edu.

How do I forward full email headers?

https://wiki.umbc.edu/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=1867970

For more information, please visit: 

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-53573408

To read more articles published by DoIT Security please visit: 

https://itsecurity.umbc.edu/critical/?tag=notice. 

https://itsecurity.umbc.edu/home/covid-19-news/?tag=covid19