In a time of crisis and national emergency, most people pull together and work towards making the situation better. Unfortunately, every crisis also beings out those who take advantage of the chaotic environment, and try to swindle people who may be influenced by fear, panic or confusion. This pandemic is no exception, and COVID-19 scams are surfacing every day. Here is the information you need to stay safe and keep your networks secure during this time.
One of the main ways that scammers have been stealing money from innocent people is through fake charities. At a time when everyone is looking for ways to help, giving to a charity is a positive gesture. However, many false charities have sprung up that have no intention to giving the money to assist people who need money. The easiest way to check out if a charity is legitimate or not is to check the IRS website. A lot of fake information is passed along through social media sites, and can be made to look completely legitimate. When a video or post “goes viral”, hundreds of thousands of people may believe what they see, simply based on how often it has been shared.
Phishing is a fraudulent attempt to gain sensitive data from a network user – such as usernames, passwords and credit card details – by purporting to be a trustworthy entity. Generally these scams are carried out over email or other form of electronic medium such as instant messaging. The communication directs the recipient to go to a website and enter personal information, however the link brings the victim to a fake website, which looks and feels very much like the true site. A common phishing scam appears to come from a site you access often, such as a bank or medical portal. They often tell you that your password has expired, or that you need to update some of your information. Ultimately, you enter your personal data into a scammers website.
The large amount of employees who moved to home office rapidly left the door wide open for COVID-19 scammers. Psychologically, people are less likely to exercise caution when they are at home. They may even be more likely to click links or visit unauthorized sites on work computers. Without the protection of IT network security, cyber criminals have a myriad of opportunities to try to breach your network. It is more important than ever that you train your employees on proper security protocols, and provide a handbook to establish company rules and regulations regarding network security.
Robocalls are on the rise as the epidemic progresses. These fake calls often appear to be coming fgrom your own area code, which can put you at ease. The call may claim yo be from a financial institution, a trusted charity, or even a government agency. It can be difficult to distinguish truth from scammers sometimes, but the best rule of thumb is to never give out or enter information over an unsolicited phone call. If you think the request may be legitimate, hang up and call the institution yourself to ask about its validity.
Managed IT services companies like Alliance IT can help you to establish security protocols for your company – whether during a national emergency, or during normal business operations. Call us today to set up a consultation to discuss how we can help you to protect your business, train your employees, and thrive in today’s competitive environment.
