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Message from Action Fraud Re Corona Virus
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Below is a warning from Action Fraud regarding scam emails and telephone
calls being circulated by criminals using the Corona virus to trick
people into purchasing non-existent goods.
"Fraudsters are exploiting the spread of COVID-19 Corona virus to
facilitate various types of fraud and cybercrime.
Since February 2020, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has
identified 21 reports of fraud where Corona virus was mentioned, with
victim losses totalling over £800k.
Ten of these reports were made by victims that attempted to purchase
protective face masks from fraudulent sellers. Reporting numbers are
expected to rise as the virus continues to spread across the world.
Fraudsters are also sending out Corona virus-themed phishing emails in
an attempt to trick people into opening malicious attachments or
revealing sensitive personal and financial details.
Some other examples of tactics identified from victim reports:
Fraudsters purporting to be from research organisations affiliated with
the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World
Health Organisation (WHO) make contact with potential victims by email.
They claim to be able to provide the recipient with a list of Corona
virus infected people in their area. In order to access this
information, the victim needs to click on a link, which leads to a
malicious website, or is asked to make a payment in Bitcoin.
Watch out for scam messages:
Do not click on the links or attachments in suspicious emails, and never
respond to unsolicited messages and calls that ask for your personal or
financial details.
Shopping online:
If you are making a purchase from a company or person you do not know
and trust, carry out some research first, and ask a friend or family
member for advice before completing the purchase.
If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you
have one, as most major credit card providers insure online purchases.
For more information on how to shop online safely, please visit:
https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/shoponlinesafely
Protect your devices from the latest threats:
Always install the latest software and app updates to protect your
devices from the latest threats. For information on how to update your
devices, please visit:
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/securing-your-devices";
Thank you for reading.
*/Message Sent By/*
Carol Raynes (Police, PCSO, Sheffield Central & North west)
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Please note that this message was sent by South Yorkshire Police.
This e-mail communication makes use of a "Clear Image" (gif) to track
results of the e-mail campaign. If you wish to turn off this tracking
for future e-mails, you can do so by not downloading the images in the
e-mail itself.