Cybercriminals play on fear, and this pandemic is a perfect opportunity for them to take advantage of the fear that already exists amongst all of us. It’s COVID-19 that has made cyber criminals go out in full force with various scams and threats targeting people in the crisis. As states and cities are working to reduce the impact of the corona by requesting people to stay at home, cybercriminals are all set to target stressed-out people, no matter where they are.

It is now absolutely crucial for us to continue to be careful with our physical hygiene, but also the health of our computers and other technical devices are more important now than ever since a lot of us are dependent on them while some of us are working from home.

Now it has become easier for hackers to prey on vulnerable people who seek out data and information regarding the virus so the criminals can boost their revenue. The cybercriminals are spreading malware through websites and mobile phone apps and threatening people with ransomware. In such a scenario, it is important to keep an eye on any suspicious activity. Cybercriminals don’t rest; they wait for an opportunity to attack when our anxiety and fear are heightened.

Here are some coronavirus cyber scams you should be aware of:

• Cures for Coronavirus: As everybody is living with the fear of a pandemic, cybercriminals are making people fall for the scams related to the cures for coronavirus. We need to stay away from the fake websites that claim to offer relevant information and testament for COVID-19. There are also a plethora of seller scams online, ranging from selling fake to outright fraud, unsafe products, fraudulent dealers and phishing websites.

Also, learn what’s a phishing attack and how to not fall for it.

• Medical Information: People need to stick to official WHO and CDC sites for medical information related to COVID-19. The top risk to businesses and consumers is, of course, phishing scams that will try to impersonate the WHO, CDC, and other agencies. They impersonate those agencies, insurance firms and other organizations that are affiliated with coronavirus. That way they can hijack your credentials, infect you with malware and hack your money.

• Financial Theft:They can also trick you into wiring funds to get an urgent shipment of your necessary items or to avoid any order cancellation. They can even steal your card details and use them to harm you.

• Text Messages: Criminals will also likely send text messages in order to carry out their hacking activities and run phishing campaigns. They can trick people to follow their campaign by calling them to click any malicious link or installing any application that can harm their data. This may lead to serious financial fraud or information theft. They use pretexts such as quarantine notices or local warnings about the pandemic.

• Financial Trouble: Another trick that criminals use is to take advantage of the financial trouble that everyone is experiencing. With the current condition of the stock market, people are more susceptible to click and open malicious attachments that come from any banks if they claim to offer you the best interest and investment deal.

• Requests For Donations To Non-Profit Organizations: In this time of trouble, you may receive many requests or invitations for charitable donations. These requests can be a scam to steal your money. It is crucial to be aware of such scams and think twice before clicking any suspicious link.

• Tax Payments:In this tax season, people probably see coronavirus phishing email attempts that steal personal identity and banking information. Both individuals and business people should exert extra vigilance to stay safe from any fraud. They should avoid opening suspicious emails, links, and websites given by hackers who are pretending like official authorities.

• Working Remotely:Organizations must make sure that all the devices of their employees are updated and comfortable with operating systems and web applications. When they are working from home, they are more likely to become a victim of mobile attacks. Criminals often trigger quick responses via instant chat platforms such as WhatsApp, iMessage, SMS, WeChat, Skype, and others.

Read more: COVID-19 Pandemic: 7 Pro Tips for Working from Home

• Online Misinformation:Online lies and misinformation are also the issue that is proliferating across the fake news channels and social media campaigns. Many tech companies are making hard efforts to eradicate that corona related misinformation that is spreading panic across the world.

• Capitalizing on Fear:Hostile actors or attackers are capitalizing on the fear that is generated by this COVID-19 pandemic. They use the fear against them and entice them to click on malicious links containing information on symptoms of coronavirus, precaution, and treatment. Ransomware attacks are expected to be launched against hospitals and medical facilities to create more chaos during this critical time.

COVID-19 is making cybercriminals more powerful as they are targeting vulnerable people. To avoid such scams and stay safe from any fraudulent activity, it is important to look closely at the email address of the sender, navigate the site on your own. Also, you must be cautious while opening attachments that have a sense of urgency.

Be wary of emails, text messages and phone calls regarding Covid-19 because while some of you may be off from work or school, fraudsters have already placed over a million spam/robocalls regarding the Coronavirus to American’s phones.

Text messages, social media, emails, and phone calls are just some ways cybercriminals are looking to infect us with a cyber virus, and you need to be diligent for our cybersecurity as well as your overall health during this pandemic.

With a bit of awareness and preventive measures, you can keep your confidential data and systems secured against malicious attacks and scams. Availing managed IT services from CTG Tech can also be the solution to streamline the business processes while managing the IT thefts.