COVID-19 Scams on the rise – Tips for protecting your business
If you’ve received a Covid-related scam email over the past few weeks, you’re not alone. During the recent New Zealand lockdowns, there have been a noticeable increase in Covid-19-specific email phishing scams.
These scams are difficult to spot which means you and your team need to be extra vigilant.
What is a phishing scam?
The aim of a phishing scam is to trick you into providing personal information such as passwords or account numbers.
The scammer sends out an email that appears to be from a company you know or trust. The email might ask you to update your information such as a password or bank account details, or to download malware disguised in an attachment.
Covid-19 scams
With the vaccine roll out and the need for updated, immediate information, COVID-19 has given scammers a new opportunity to target and engage with people.
This, combined with the fact that many people are working from home, means businesses need to pay careful attention to security protocols.
The scams still have the same purpose – to obtain personal and financial details. Some of the phishing emails being sent recently include:
tips and advice from the World Health Organization (WHO) in a downloadable PDF
donation requests from WHO
offers of priority access to the COVID-19 vaccine
masks and health products for sale.
Other common red flags of phishing scams include:
being asked for passwords – there’s never any reason a legitimate company will ask for this
requests to verify your bank account or details – don’t ever click through from an email to do this, even if it looks totally genuine
pressure to make a decision quickly – for example to avoid penalties or having your account suspended
an offer of receiving money or free goods – but first having to pay an ‘administration’ fee or similar
being told there is a problem with your phone, internet connection, or computer –scammers may say they’re from a trusted company such as Microsoft, and advise they need to access your computer remotely, or that you need to download software, in order to fix it.
If in doubt, play it safe
Scammers often use the exact branding, colours and logos as the organisation they’re pretending to be, making it difficult to recognize as a scam.
Their success relies on your ability to distinguish what is genuine and what isn’t. Here are a few tips to help you keep one step ahead:
Look for grammatical and spelling errors within the email.
Hover over the email address and website hyperlinks to show the sender’s address. Be aware though, that sometimes scammers will use name of the organization somewhere within the address to make it look genuine.
Unless you’re certain it’s genuine, don’t open or download any attachments or click on any links.
Research the latest scams online to see if the email you’ve received is already on the radar.
Enquire directly with the company it is supposedly from to confirm whether it’s genuine.
Keep your anti-virus software updated and run regular checks.
Protect your business and your team
Sophisticated scams are catching out businesses and individuals every day.
With many teams now working remotely, it’s more important than ever to prioritise your businesses cyber security.
At the very least, scams can cost your business valuable time. But financial costs, and the cost to your business reputation can be far greater.
Contact us today to get your business security sorted.