Don’t Let Your Guard Down during the COVID-19 Pandemic
March 20, 2020
Scammers are trying to take advantage of individuals during this historic time. There has been an uptick of emails with malicious attachments or links preying on COVID-19 and the desire to have more information. These emails are drafted in an effort to trick victims into revealing sensitive information or donating to fraudulent charities or causes. This is a reminder to be extra caution when handing any communications with COVID-19 in the subject line, as part of an attachment or as a hyperlink. One should also be careful of calls related to COVID-19 or economic scams preying on individuals who are facing employment and economic hardships. Watch for these scams in phone calls, texts or social media posts.The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has released the following reminders and precautions:Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails and be wary of email attachments.Use trusted sources-such as legitimate, government websites. One trusted source for up-to-date, fact-based information about COVID-19 is:https://www.cisa.gov/coronavirusDo not reveal personal or financial information in email, and do not respond to email solicitations for this information.Verify a charity’s authenticity before making donations.Review CISA Insights on Risk Management for COVID-19:https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/20_0306_cisa_insights_risk_management_for_novel_coronavirus.pdf
Author
Tricia L. Hoffman-Simanek