The worldwide spread of the Coronavirus is being used by bad guys to scare people into clicking on links, open malicious attachments, or give out confidential information. Be careful with anything related to the Coronavirus — emails, attachments, any social media, texts on your phone, anything.

The newest Coronavirus-themed phishing attack may be the most ruthless yet. The cybercriminals are sending emails that appear to be from a hospital and warn that you have been exposed to the virus through contact with a colleague, friend, or family member. Attached to the email is a “pre-filled” form to download and take with you to the hospital. Don’t be fooled. The attachment is actually a sophisticated piece of malware. This threat relies on panic and fear to bypass rational thinking. Don’t give in!

Look out for topics like:

  • EMERGENCY EMAIL
  • Military Source Exposes Shocking TRUTH About Coronavirus
  • Check updated Coronavirus map in your city
  • Coronavirus Infection warning from local school district
  • CDC or World Health Organization emails or social media Coronavirus messaging
  • Keeping your children safe from Coronavirus

You might even get a scam phone call to raise funds for “victims”.

There will be a number of scams related to this, so please remember to Think Before You Click! Hover your cursor over any links to reveal the URL. Do not click on any links from any untrusted sources. If you are unsure if a message is safe, forward it to ITSecurity@sunybroome.edu

Remember, phishing and malware spam can also be generic, like this example listed below: