Coronavirus: Kiwis warned to be extra careful as virus-related scams rise
Tuesday, 31 March 2020
Scammers are targeting New Zealanders who are feeling anxious about coronavirus.
Text messages, phishing emails and fake maps with 'coronavirus information' are all new ways scammers are trying to get their hands on people's data.
When the country moved to alert level 4 there was a 20-50 per cent increase in internet use - giving a new avenue for scammers to exploit, according to Vodafone NZ.
Vodafone NZ head of cyber security Colin James said it was unfortunate that at times like this there were global fraudsters taking advantage of Covid-19 fears for malicious purposes.
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'The current Covid-19 situation has created a considerable avenue for them to exploit, as they prey on people's fears or need for information.'
James said while telecommunications companies could do their best to warn people, it was up to Kiwis to protect themselves and remain vigilant of potential scams.
There are three coronavirus-related scams which are making the rounds across the world, he said.
A text scam has been circulating which claimed to direct people to testing facilities. The link contained in this text was not legitimate and instead potentially installed malware on people's devices.
Phishing emails with 'safety measures' actually contained infected attachments. Clicking the link won't show health information, but instead installed malware that could steal a persons information.
There were also a number of campaigns which claimed to have 'coronavirus maps' but, like the others, could contain malware.
Netsafe chief executive Martin Cocker said there was no ethical line that scammers would not cross.
'Covid-19 means people are relying more and more on their devices and the internet to stay connected.
'While in most cases this presents a great chance to stay socially connected, this unfortunately presents opportunities for scammers to exploit New Zealanders.'
According to Netsafe, people should stop and think carefully before entering any details online.
Telltale signs of a scam include:
Being asked for passwords
Needing to verify your account or details
Unusual ways to pay for something
Asking for remote access to your device
Pressuring you to make a decision quickly
Contact that is out of the blue