COVID-19 Text Scams with Link to Fake Coronavirus Websites
If you receive a Coronavirus COVID-19 text message like the one pictured below, DO NOT click the link! This is because the message is a coronavirus text scam. The scam is being by scammers who are pursuing different angles related to the Coronavirus pandemic to commit identity theft, create chaos and steal people’s money.
A Covid 19 Text Scam
"Someone who came in contact with you tested positive or has shown symptons for COVID-19 & recommends you self-isolate/get tested. More at COVID-19anon.com/alert"
Visitors to the fraudulent website will be asked to enter their phone number. This is concerning because the person or organization running this website is anonymous, and this is just one of many suspicious websites out there. There are currently well over 110,000 suspicious COVID-19-related domains registered. Some of these fraudulent websites have been set up to collect bank account information, email addresses and passwords.
Similarly, there have also been reports of emails that purport to be from hospitals, warning consumers that they may have come in contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19. In this scenario, the scam emails contain an Excel file attachment, which, when downloaded, installs malware on the recipient’s device. The malware may allow the attackers to steal log-in credentials for sites you have visited, look for open shares on the network and view all documents and folders, receive your IP address, and steal cryptocurrency wallet information.
Consumers should also watch out for emails, text messages and robocalls about COVID-19 stimulus money that appear to come from the U.S. Treasury, but which may actually be coming from scammers who are impersonating government officials. In these scams, consumers are told that to receive stimulus money they should click on a link or go to a website, where they are then directed to enter their personal and financial information. Remember – the vast majority of economic impact payments will be distributed automatically, with no action required from most people.
consumers not to click on any links or go to websites that come from unsolicited texts, emails or phone calls. Instead, consumers should get their information from legitimate websites, such as:
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – cdc.gov
- IRS – irs.gov/coronavirus
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Note: Some of the information in samples on this website may have been impersonated or spoofed.