Scammers using the virus to swindle cash
CRIMINALS are exploiting the coronavirus crisis to try to swindle money from unsuspecting members of the public.
Fraudsters have been posing as genuine organisations such as health organisations, banks and police and contacting victims by email, phone or text.
There have also been reports of people cold-calling the homes of the elderly or vulnerable.
They claim to be able to provide medical guidance, investment opportunities or a safe place to transfer and keep money, using Covid-19 as a cover story.
Victims are tricked into making purchases or disclosing personal or financial information.
Action Fraud, part of the City of London Police, say they received a first report on February 1 and these have increased by 400 per cent up to March 20. Losses have totalled nearly a million pounds. Here are the most common cons:
A social media post began circulating which claimed you could get a free £258 award from the government to help during the coronavirus outbreak just by entering your bank details.
It was what is known as a phishing scam, where legitimatelooking emails ask for money or attempt to access a person’s personal details. “Government departments never ask for your bank details in this way. It is a scam designed to trick you out of money,” said Salford council, who issued a warning about it.
A text message has been going around asking recipients to pay a £35 fine as it says they have been ‘recorded as leaving their home on three occasions’ during the lockdown. Experts say the weblinks on the text are likely to go through to dodgy websites looking to steal personal information or install malware on your phone, tablet or laptop.
An email has gone round posing to be from a supposed research group mimicking the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organisation. The message claims to provide a list of local infections, but, if victims want to access it they must click on a credential-stealing link or make a payment to an e-currency Bitcoin account. The National Crime Agency urged people not to click links in emails if they do not know where they have come from.