DOJ Tips To Protect Yourself From Covid-19 Related Scams Online
Earlier this week the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the latest results of their ongoing cooperative effort with a number of private companies, including several internet domain providers and registrars. Together, the DOJ and the private sector have disrupted hundreds of websites created and used to exploit the coronavirus pandemic to commit fraud, identity theft, and other crimes.
The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has reviewed over 3,600 received complaints of COVID-19 related scams, often involving websites that advertised fake cures and vaccines, operated fraudulent charity drives, delivered malware into website visitors’ hardware, or other various scams. To draw in visitors, these websites commonly used domain names including “covid19,” “coronavirus,” or related words, even in some instances the fraudsters claimed to be either run by or affiliated with government agencies and organizations focused on public health.
In the their recent press release, the DOJ provided examples of online fraud schemes they have recently disrupted:
- An illegitimate website pretending to solicit and collect donations to the American Red Cross for COVID-19 relief efforts.
- Numerous illegitimate websites mirroring the IRS’ online application for the economic impact payments.
- Phony websites that spoofed other government programs and organizations to trick Americans into entering personally identifiable information, including banking details and social security numbers.
- Websites of legitimate businesses and services used to increase the control or distribution of malicious software.
The DOJ has not stood alone in cracking down on online scams during the COVID-19 pandemic. Government agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have been reviewing and investigating complaints of online fraud, before sending formal referral packets to private companies that host or manage the fraudulent website domains. Those companies have dedicated taskforces to review and shutdown website related to those complaints when appropriate.
The surge in online fraud cases has been felt worldwide. In effort, the DOJ has been working with other countries during the pandemic through the International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP) program, the DOJ announced. The Justice Department points to a recent example of success from this global initiative, in which a local prosecutor in Brazil succeeded in disrupting a website purporting to distribute free sanitizer, when in reality the website was used to infect consumers’ computers with malware. Through ICHIP, the Brazilian prosecutor was able to shut down the fraudster’s website by working with the U.S.-based registrar.
With that global context, the DOJ issued the following tips that can help protect individuals and businesses from cyber criminals during the COVID-19 outbreak:
- Independently verify the identity of any company, individual, charity or organization that contacts you about COVID-19.
- Double, even triple check websites and email addresses offering anything related to COVID-19, including information, products, or services. Be advised that scammers will regularly employ addresses that differ only slightly from the websites belonging to the entities they are impersonating. For example, scammers might use “cdc.com” or “cdc.org” instead of “cdc.gov.”
- Be vigilant and cautious of unsolicited emails offering anything related to COVID-19, including information, supplies, or treatment for COVID-19, or requesting your personal information for medical reasons. Legitimate health authorities will not contact the public this way.
- Do not click on links or open email attachments from unknown or unverified sources. Doing so could download a virus onto your computer or device.
- Ensure that your computer’s anti-malware and anti-virus software is running and up to date. Sure that your operating system is also up to date.
- Ignore any offers for a vaccine, cure, or treatment for COVID-19. Importantly, if a vaccine becomes available, you will not hear about it for the first time through an email, online ad, or unsolicited sales pitch.
- Check online reviews of any company offering COVID-19 products or supplies. Avoid companies whose customers have complained about not receiving items.
- Research and verify sites soliciting donations in connection with COVID-19 before giving any donation. Be advised, even if an entity uses words like “CDC” or “government” in its name, or even if it has reputable looking seals or logos on its materials, an organization may still not be legitimate.
- Do not send money in cash, by wire transfer, gift card, or by the mail. Be on the lookout for any entity, whether a business, charity, or individual, requesting payments or donations through these channels.
If you, friends, coworkers, or a family member see any suspicious fraud related to COVID-19, online or otherwise, please visit the website of the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, or local law enforcement to report the activity and obtain more information. Be safe.
