A Guide to Pandemic Scams, and What Not to Fall For

Never have we been so attractive as targets for fraudsters and scammers as we are right now.

That’s because the uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic has created more opportunities for robocallers, hackers and other thieves.

For one thing, millions of people are filing new claims for unemployment benefits and awaiting stimulus checks. So when a phone call or an email from someone purporting to be a bank or a government official comes in, it is tougher for us to ignore.

Plus with so many people being required to work from home, our personal tech devices have become an attractive target for those looking to infiltrate businesses.

While there is little data about the extent of such shadowy activities, security experts said they had seen an increase in scams invading our inboxes, phones and websites. Last month, the Federal Trade Commission issued a warning, advising people to not respond to digital communications from those claiming to have information about checks from the government, among other schemes.

“It’s a Pandora’s box of opportunities that they can leverage,” said Sam Espinosa, an executive at Next Caller, which develops technology to detect fraudulent calls. “The first time you’re dealing with unemployment may not be the time you’re thinking, ‘This is a fraudster.’”

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By: Brian X. Chen
Title: A Guide to Pandemic Scams, and What Not to Fall For
Sourced From: www.nytimes.com/2020/05/13/technology/personaltech/pandemic-scams.html
Published Date: Wed, 13 May 2020 09:00:21 +0000

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