The COVID-19 pandemic has hit just about every continent of the world, with governments shutting down borders and economic activity across nations coming to a standstill. As people try to prevent the spread of the virus and adopt healthy lifestyle modifications, scammers have also been on the prowl, profiting off the desire for people to feel safe.<\/p>\n
In a new report<\/a>, IT security company Sophos confirmed that it had discovered a wave of scams in which attackers convince their victims to send them Bitcoins under the pretense of being members of prominent health agencies. Chester Wisniewski, a principal research scientist at the firm, explained that they\u2019ve been tracking hackers across the world in the wake of the virus, adding that the number of phishing emails from scammers has been on an alarming surge.<\/p>\n https:\/\/twitter.com\/alfredwkng\/status\/1241001854047322113<\/p>\n He explained that while the scams started with these phishing Emails where malicious documents were disguised as COVID-19<\/a>-related materials, hackers have now evolved and are impersonating charitable bodies from the World Health Organization (WHO). The hackers have especially taken on the persona of the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, and are now sending Emails that are identical to those of the fund itself.<\/p>\n He added that while the mails differ in terms of content and requests, they all still revolve around the virus. Some mails pitch Corona-proof masks, while others come with \u201chow-to\u201d videos that explain things like constructing a bunker and keeping your family safe during the crisis.<\/p>\n In good times and not so good times, scammers will always try to steal your money – beware of COVID-19 scams with this #scamalert<\/a> regarding non-FDA approved test kits coming into the US:https:\/\/t.co\/w8BD1iuCnQ<\/a>#YonkersPD<\/a> @CityofYonkers<\/a><\/p>\n — Yonkers Police HQ (@YonkersPD) March 20, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n