What should not come as much of a surprise to anyone, criminals are using COVID-19 as a jumping point for new scam call campaigns and phishing email attacks. These attacks have become so prevalent that the CDC has released a statement and some helpful tips on how to make sure your sensitive information stays safe. Phone Scams There are many apps and websites that allow people to disguise their phone number and identity. Phone scammers are using these apps and websites to make it appears as if their phone call is originating from within the CDC. Either through direct conversation or by leaving a voicemail, these scammers attempt to have you reveal sensitive information about yourself (credit card information, social security, etc.). These kinds of acts are considered “impersonation fraud” but are challenging to track down and pursue due to how they originate. To keep yourself safe, avoid picking up the phone when you do not recognize the number. If you do happen to pick up, do not reveal any sensitive information over the phone to someone you do not know, regardless of who they claim to be affiliated with. If you find yourself on the phone with someone to suspect to be a scammer, hang up on them immediately, block the number they called from, and report them to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Phishing Attacks Phishing emails are malicious emails created by cybercriminals in an attempt to steal your sensitive information. Phishing attacks have always been around, but with COVID-19, cybercriminals have a convincing means of scaring and persuading some people to either give out confidential information or access their machine by clicking malicious links. Phishing emails, similar to the scam phone calls, are disguising themselves as emails sent from the CDC. These emails contain attachments regarding infection-prevention measures. These attachments are usually embedded with viruses that can steal your information and track your online browsing. Protecting yourself from phishing attacks in simple but must be continuously practiced when online. Here are a few safety tips: Never open emails from someone you do not know Be careful when obtaining information regarding COVID-19 from third parties. Go directly to the government website for official updates and safety tips. If links are embedding within the email, hover over them before clicking on them to see where they will take you. If the email comes from someone you do not know, do not open attachments. Never provide sensitive information over email, to anyone. Staying Safe; Online and Offline Coronavirus has caused Americans many issues regarding work and general health safety. Unfortunately, people out there have sought to take advantage of this situation and cause more havoc. We hope that this information finds you and your data safe and well during these trying times. If you have any questions or concerns, give us a call! We are happy to assist!
When you get a bill in the mail, many of us think little of it and pay the amount due without reading too much into it. However, scammers do not only exist virtually, but they also claim victims in reality. Whenever you are asked to send money or pay something, you must read carefully, and if anything suspicious sticks out, you must use extreme caution. Consider calling the company that is listed on the letter or email to confirm the bill is legitimate and avoid being scammed. For example, take this fake I.R.S bill: Scammers will attempt to steal your money any way they can, but there are usually ways to tell the real letters from the fakes. Pay close attention to the wording used and if something causes concerns, call the company who issues you the mail immediately. It has been said that the I.R.S will never call or email to obtain money, but it will send letters. Until recently, this method has worked to avoid scammers for the most part. Obviously this has now changed, and scammers have begun sending fake correspondence demanding money from people. It is easy for I.R.S employees to spot the differences in the letters being sent, but for the average individual, it is not. Therefore, consider reading the I.R.S’s post about how to avoid scams! They outline several helpful tips that will help prevent you from becoming a victim!
Another example of how someone will attempt to trick you into giving out your personal information! Please, make sure you are always paying attention when going through your email. If an email appears sketchy, it most likely is! Most of the time, the biggest give away is the senders email address! The email address “accounts@office365.micros0ft.tech” should stand out as a red flag. Upon closer inspection you will notice that the “O” in Microsoft is in fact a “0”(zero). Once you notice something like this, make the email as spam and move along! Remember to always be on the lookout! If possible, get in contact with the company that email appears to be from! This will help you gain peace of mind, as well as notify the company of a possible issue!