In our last update, we shared that people were more likely to engage with a scammer and lose money when the scam involved an online purchase.
Cybersecurity firm, Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42, has been tracking data on COVID-19 phishing attacks. Phishing is the process of trying to collect sensitive information (like usernames, passwords, and bank account numbers) through email by posing as a trustworthy source.
Unit 42 found a 530% increase in vaccine related phishing attacks from December 2020 to February 2021. Many fake websites impersonate log in pages for Microsoft 365 email accounts to steal usernames and passwords. As phishing and online scams continue, it is important to be incredibly cautious online. Here are a few tips on internet and email scams:
- Do not respond to messages asking to confirm your personal information, such as credit card or bank account numbers or your Social Security number.
- If you receive a surprise email from someone you know asking for money, call them to confirm they sent you the message.
- Only give personal information on encrypted website. A site is secure if the web address starts with “https”.
Click here for more tips on how to protect yourself from scams.
