Not just fake news anymore. Cybercriminals want to profit from the coronavirus panic
Cybercriminals are preying on fear of the coronavirus. Beware of potentially dangerous messages.
For several days now, the Internet has been flooded with false information regarding the state administration's actions regarding the coronavirus. Everyone probably has a friend whose aunt works in the ministry, the prime minister's office or the city hall (delete as appropriate), who reports apocalyptic visions of city blockades and closing of shops. This type of information, unverified and repeatedly denied by the government, only increases the panic.
Make money on the coronavirus
Most often, these are just not very smart jokes, but there are also people who decided to make money on the fear of the epidemic. One such example is an e-mail circulating abroad in which cybercriminals included a link to a false list of frequently asked questions about the disease. People who enter it will install malware on their computer instead of answering their questions. It probably serves, among others, to capture bank account login details.
According to cybersecurity experts, the number of registered frauds based on panic caused by the coronavirus is growing at an avalanche pace. They also remind us that this is a quite popular method that is used in almost all crises, disasters, and high-profile topics of interest to large numbers of people around the world. There is a very good chance that similar types of fraud will also appear on the Polish Internet.
