Scammers are taking advantage of the latest round of stimulus checks, which are being distributed within the U.S. A stimulus check is a payment sent to a taxpayer by the U.S. government. This state interventionist policy is designed to stimulate the economy by providing consumers with some spending money. The primary form of hacker activity is based on phishing.
According to Mathew Newfield, Chief Security and Infrastructure Officer for Unisys, who has told Digital Journal: “Hackers have ramped up their attacks, using COVID-19 as a cover to trick people into clicking on malicious links by posing as a resource for stimulus payments. Now, more than ever, consumers must remain vigilant about the risk of cyberattacks.”
Newfield warns that: “Phishing attacks are on the rise as cyber criminals seek to exploit the fact that there are a lot of people still working from and shopping online at home, and that many people are anxiously awaiting the next stimulus payment.
One way scammers lure victims is through text message; for example, a robotext phishing scam impersonating the Internal Revenue Service asking people to confirm information for a stimulus payment through a link. We’ve also seen robocalls surge as scammers bait people into giving up personal information under the guise of applying for refunds related to coronavirus, or to try to solicit donations or trick users into downloading malware.”
Newfield’s advice is for people to: “Be skeptical of anything you receive that asks you to click a link or share personal information. If the link is supposedly from someone you know, give the person a call or a quick text asking them if it really came from them.”
He recommends further that we all learn to: “Hover over any links before clicking. Scammers like to send malicious links under the guise of asking you to verify your information or shipping address, but that link could give hackers access to your computer or personal information.”
