COVID-19 fear is a breeding ground for exploitation
At the moment we’re all afraid – for our livelihoods, our families and our very lives. People in fear will grasp any shred of hope. That’s why scammers love a crisis like COVID-19.
There’s so much information – and misinformation – out there, it’s hard to sift the truth from all that noise. But you can learn to recognise scammers when they come over the horizon.
Here are some signs to look for.
Suspicious links or downloads
If you get an email from what looks like a reputable company or public department, and it asks you to open an attachment, click a link or supply personal information – don’t. It could be a phishing scam. The link or attachment may contain malware giving cyber thieves access to your private information, passwords and finances. They could steal all your savings – or your identity.
Asking for personal information
If the email or someone on the phone asks for personal information, don’t give it out. Government departments, agencies and banks do NOT ask for personal information via email or on the phone.
A weird sender email address
Hold your cursor over the address or URL – does it exactly match the company’s web address? It might be obviously not legit, but phishers are getting cleverer every day. It could look real at first glance
Poor spelling and grammar
Phishers may be clever but they often can’t write well. If your suspect email has spelling mistakes or shonky grammar, it’s almost certainly a scam – delete it.
Generic salutations
If your email is addressed to ‘Dear customer’ or ‘Hello’, that’s because they’re phishing in the dark. If you respond, then they will know your name, and probably steal it. Delete.
‘Act now!’ urgency
A dodgy email will make you feel panicky. ‘Running out of time’ will make you click through – to the malware.
Fake cures
Wouldn’t you like a cure for COVID-19? That’s what scammers hope. A clue that they’re fake is, again, that urgency – that they’ll run out of the promised remedy. Click through and you’ll get that malware, or you buy a product that’s useless – or never arrives. Meanwhile, they have your personal information, including your credit card details.
Tip: so far, there’s no cure for COVID-19. If there was, you’d be hearing it from official government channels.
Fake news and conspiracy theories
Any information you see shared on social media about the virus should be taken with a very large grain of salt. COVID-19 is not a ‘normal flu’, children can catch it, and it wasn’t bio-engineered in Russia or China. It’s best to ignore anything that doesn’t come from a reputable channel like the Government’s COVID-19 site, the Ministry of Health’s website, reputable media sites such as RNZ, NZ Herald, and The Spinoff, or subject matter experts like Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles or Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield.
Stay safe
While there’s already so much to be worried about it would be heart-breaking if were to fall victim to a scam on top of everything. Click here to read more tips and tricks on spotting a scammer.