Dear Clients,
As we continue to navigate through this difficult time, as your IT Providers, we wanted to warn you of some ongoing Coronavirus related scams. These scam artists profit most during a time of heightened panic and stressful situations, using various tactics to grab your attention.
As we’ve found with many scams of the past, the best solution is to be proactive and aware. If an email seems phony, it likely is. Delete any suspicious messages, and do not click on any links. Listed below are some of the many ongoing scams:
The Fake Funding Scam: Finding a cure for Coronavirus Scam
In this scam, victims receive bogus emails, text messages or social media posts asking them to donate money to a research team that is supposedly on the verge of developing a drug to treat COVID-19.
Phony Health Agency Notifications: Phone Emails pretending to be a business
Scammers are sending out alerts appearing to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or the WHO. In reality, these are just scammers creating emails that look identical to the actual companies. They go as far as using their logos and contact information. Their goal is to get you to click their email that contains malware that will infect your computer.
Gift Card & Airline Scams: Congratulations! You’ve won…a fake vacation
This is a common scam that we see multiple times throughout the year, especially popular around holidays. You receive an email, phone call or even a text message with a link telling you that you’re the lucky winner of a gift card or an all-inclusive paid for vacation! The truth? They just want you to click the fake email so they can scan your computer and steal your information such as passwords.