What Does the Second Wave of COVID-19 Scams Has in Store for Us?

Autumn has brought us the second wave of coronavirus, and, unfortunately, with it comes the second wave of the COVID-19 scams. Many users were not prepared for the first wave of such scams as everything happened so suddenly. In this article, we discuss how to recognize signs of virtual scams and what you can do to avoid cyberattacks. Naturally, if you have to work or study remotely or spend much more time in front of your computer during the pandemic, we invite you to read our full blog post and employ our listed tips so you would not fall victim to COVID-19 scams.

What to expect from the second wave of COVID-19 scams?

One of the scams encountered during the first wave of COVID-19 scams was the fake map of global coronavirus cases that impersonated the legitimate map offered by Johns Hopkins. Specialists say that such scams are easy to create and spread as many users are frightened and are always looking for new coronavirus information. According to specialists from Interpol, it is likely that similar scams will be used in the second wave of COVID-19 too.

It is also expected that there will be scams related to coronavirus vaccination and cures as soon as they become available. During the first wave of COVID-19 scams, cybercriminals tricked their victims into making payments in exchange for face masks and other protective equipment that they never delivered. Since there is still a huge need for such supplies, specialists say that users should expect more protection supplies scams and maintain caution when purchasing masks or other protective equipment online.

Moreover, since many organizations allow their employees to work from home, it is expected that hackers will put even more effort into getting to such users. The problem with working from home is that it makes it more difficult to confirm things. Unlike in the office, you cannot go to your colleague and ask him if he really wrote the message that you received. It might also be more difficult to reach out to partners and institutions.

It is not only businesses that might be targeted. COVID-19 scammers are also after hospitals and other institutions from the health sector as they have access to lots of sensitive information that can be used for future scams or sold on the dark web. Unfortunately, specialists believe that there will be only more scams targeted at health institutions in the future.

How not to miss the signs of virtual scams

Spotting the signs of virtual scams require being cautious and attentive all the time as you can never know when you will be contacted by scammers or enter their websites.

Sense of urgency

Most scam messages rely on making the targeted victims feel like they have to do something right away. For example, a fake message from a bank could say that your account was suspended and you have to visit the bank’s website, while a fake advertisement could offer something that is available for a limited time only. Some scam messages are designed to scare users as they list the terrible things that may happen if they do not take immediate action. Thus, if you feel there is a sense of urgency in your received an email, SMS message, pop-up, or advertisement, you should be suspicious.

Links to sites that use HTTP

Secure websites use HTTPs instead of HTTP, so if you see a message, an advertisement, or a pop-up containing a link with HTTP, you should not interact with it. It is true that some scam websites now use HTTPs to trick users into thinking that there is nothing wrong with the link, but such scams are not that common. Nonetheless, we recommend checking any link, especially if it was received out of the blue, carefully to make sure that there is nothing suspicious about it.

Spoofed phone numbers and email addresses

Scammers can spoof phone numbers and email addresses of various institutions and businesses. Therefore, you should never ignore red alerts in SMS messages or emails just because they seem to be coming from legit sources. To ensure that the person is who he claims to be and actually works for the company that he says to be representing, you should find the institution’s contact information by yourself. Then contact it and ask if it employs the person in question and if his contact details that you have are correct.

Unsafe payment methods

As you might already know, many scammers out there are after your money. Such scammers may promise great job opportunities, propose teaching users how to make lots of money fast, or offer extremely cheap goods and services. Therefore, depending on the scam, you could be asked to pay for something you wish to purchase, for your training, or the supplies the scammers say you need to start working. How to spot such scams? Check the available payment methods. Scammers often use unsecure payment methods like bank or wire transfers, pre-loaded gift cards, or cryptocurrency transfers. Keep in mind that the most secure payment methods are paying with credit cards or payment systems like PayPal.

Too good to be true

If you see ads, pop-ups, or websites offering things that normally are expensive for extremely low prices, you should be suspicious. Of course, some businesses can allow themselves to offer great discounts, especially at the end of the season, as they probably need to get rid of the old goods to be able to fit things for the new season. So, how do you know if the deal is too good to be true? The answer is simple, you should look for other signs of virtual scams that we mentioned above.

How to protect yourself from COVID-19 scams?

Learning how to spot COVID-19 scams is one of the most important things to do if you want to protect yourself or your loved ones against them. However, it is not enough if you want to feel truly safe during the pandemic. Below, we list the other things that you should do if you want to avoid COVID-19 scams.

Be cautious when looking for information

We recommend getting all information related to coronavirus only from reliable sources, such as websites of healthcare or government institutions and reputable news sources. Since hackers can create fake versions of legitimate websites, specialists advise visiting those sites by entering their URL addresses directly into your browser’s address bar rather than clicking links found in emails or represented via random ads. For example, if you want to read information related to coronavirus that is provided by Johns Hopkins, you should type the following address directly into your browser’s address bar: coronavirus.jhu.edu.

Be attentive while shopping online

Users should be extra cautious while shopping online. Cybercriminals behind COVID-19 scams are fully aware that people are shopping online much more and that there is a huge demand for face masks and other protective equipment. Thus, users should stay away from shops they never heard of, especially if they are offering things for incredibly low prices and if they do not allow using secure payment methods like PayPal or credit cards.

Secure your computer

If you have to work or study from home, you should ensure that your system is secure. Meaning, you should remove weaknesses like outdated or unpatched software and unsecured Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections. These weaknesses can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to the devices you are using, your accounts, or applications. If you have to connect to your workplace’s systems, it is best to use a VPN tool that would encrypt data traveling from your computer to your workplace's devices and prevent it from being intercepted.

Update your passwords

If you have never paid much attention to your passwords' security, now is the time to correct this error. Working from home or studying online may require creating more accounts, and if you do not set up strong passwords for them, they could be vulnerable to cyberattacks. Hacked accounts can provide lots of information that could be used to scam you. Thus, we highly recommend securing your accounts by setting up unique and secure passwords. If the tasks seem too challenging, you can always employ a password manager like the Cyclonis Password Manager that can generate strong passwords and keep them safe for you.

To conclude, it is vital to understand that the coronavirus situation is providing hackers with various opportunities to scam us. Thus, you should not only do all you can to protect your health, but also take precautions that would ensure your virtual safety. We hope that this blog post will help you with this task and that you will stay safe during this difficult time.