New Scam Alert: Coronavirus Phishing Attacks

As the coronavirus spreads fear throughout the globe, hackers are already scamming victims. Cybercriminals use “clickbait,” targeted posts that play on your emotions, to plant malware and steal personal data.

They’ve designed these phishing emails to appear as though they’re originating from health officials such as doctors or national agencies, such as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Some of these emails suggest clicking a link to view information about “new coronavirus cases around your city”. Other emails suggest downloading the attached PDF file to “learn about safety measures you can take against spreading the virus”.

The e-mails also come from a realistic looking domain, cdc-gov.org, where the CDC’s actual domain is cdc.gov. Someone not paying close attention probably won’t notice the difference.

The letters claim that the CDC has “established a management system to coordinate a domestic and international public health response” and urge recipients to open a page that allegedly contains information about new cases of infection around their city.

Be leery and don’t fall for this scam. If you click the phishing link, you’re brought to a webpage that is designed to steal your personal information. If you download the PDF file, your computer will be infected with malware.

Please remember to never click on a link or download an attachment that you weren’t anticipating. Social Engineering plays on your emotional pull to react and the hackers are expecting you to click based on the volatile nature of the subject. They expect you to click before thinking or download an attachment.

If you need assistance with cybersecurity services contact DarkHound at [email protected].

Source: Kapersky

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