Better to be safe than sorry with scams

Fraudsters are exploiting the fears of COVID-19 coronavirus by sending out coronavirus-themed phishing emails falsely claiming to be from a reliable source, in the hope of gaining personal information and financial details, and tricking people into opening malicious attachments.

The emails in question sent to potential victims are pretending to be affiliated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The scammers claim to be able to provide the recipient with a list of people in their region affected by coronavirus, should the recipient click on a link to access the information. However, the links lead to a malicious website - or they may be asked to make a payment in Bitcoin.

Multiple victims had also attempted to purchase protective face masks from fraudulent sellers for as much as £15,000 in one case.

People need to ensure that they do not allow their fears to cloud their judgement online, even if something does appear legitimate, "it is better to be safe than sorry.”

The centre, which is a non-profit organisation which exists to support and help protect Scottish businesses has put forward a series of simple tips for spotting a scam email –

Right click on the sender details to see the real email address of the sender.

Don’t click on any links or attachments.

Right click on the link and copy the URL, then paste this in to a word document to see where the link is trying to take you.

If you think the email is spam, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Carry out some research if you’re purchasing from a company you do not recognise or trust. Ask a friend or family member for a second opinion before purchasing. If you go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you have one, as most major credit card providers insure online purchases.

IAN STEPHEN,

Head of Business Resilience with the SBRC