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BlackNET Distributed by Fake "Corona AV"
Digital fraudsters revealed their true colors in the first scam in this week's roundup. Detected by Malwarebytes, the ruse began when spam campaigns tricked users into visiting a website entitled "Corona Antivirus -World’s best protection." Yes, the malicious actors would have had you actually believe that antivirus could protect you against COVID-19!Image

Our scientists from Harvard University have been working on a special AI development to combat the virus using a windows app. Your PC actively protects you against the Coronaviruses (Cov) while the app is running.In the event someone actually fell for this ploy and installed the program on their computer, the fake app infected the device and enslaved it as a bot for the BlackNET botnet.
Free Passes to Netflix? They're Fake!
Apparently, malicious actors figured they'd capitalize on current social distancing recommendations and self-isolation orders by spreading around fake offers of free Netflix subscriptions.Image

"Coronavirus Finder" – Ginp's Trick of Stealing CC Data
Kaspersky Lab spotted a new attack campaign involving the Ginp banking trojan. Upon receiving a special command, Ginp redirected users to a web page advertising a program called the "Coronavirus Finder." The website claimed that users could reveal the number of people infected with COVID-19 near them in exchange for a small fee.Image

Promise of COVID-19 Safety Mask Gives Way to...Nothing?
Upon visiting the site hxxp://coronasafetymask[.]tk, researchers at ZScaler found a message informing users that they would receive a "Corona safety mask" if they agreed to download an app.Image

Fake Goodwill Payments from UK Government
Scammers know that many individuals and businesses are in desperate need of economic assistance as a result of their ongoing self-distancing orders. Cruelly, these attackers are capitalizing on this hardship to steal even more from those who are already suffering. In a scam shared by the Dorchester Police, for instance, nefarious individuals sent out text messages informing people that Her Majesty's Revenue and Customers (HMRC) had decided to offer them with a "goodwill payment" in the amount of £258.Image

Fill out a 'Census Form' to Receive Your Stimulus Check
Along the same lines as the previous scam, WOIO learned of a ploy in which a family member sent a strange Facebook message to one Joshua Wilson in northeast Ohio.Image

Bank Details in Exchange for Free Meals to Your Kids
The UK government's Department for Education (DfE) issued an alert about a new scam targeting parents. The ploy message read as follows:As schools will be closing, if you’re entitled to free school meals, please send your bank details and we’ll make sure you’re supported.DfE confirmed on its website that the emails were illegitimate. It went on to urge recipients to delete the emails from their inboxes and to not respond.
Fines for Breaking Your COVID-19 Quarantine
Finally, as reported by Burien News, the Burien Police Department learned that someone had decided to begin calling Burien residents. These individuals informed their victims that police had a warrant for their arrest because they had allegedly violated their quarantine. They then instructed them to provide their banking information over the phone for the purpose of paying their fines. Of course, no such arrest warrant or fines actually existed. Have you seen a coronavirus-themed scam? If so, let us know by reaching out on Twitter.Check out our other COVID-19 scam roundups below!
- COVID-19 Scam Roundup – May 11, 2020
- COVID-19 Scam Roundup – May 4, 2020
- COVID-19 Scam Roundup – April 27, 2020
- COVID-19 Scam Roundup – April 20, 2020
- COVID-19 Scam Roundup – April 14, 2020
- COVID-19 Scam Roundup – April 6, 2020
- COVID-19 Scam Roundup – March 30, 2020
- COVID-19 Scam Roundup – Week of 3/16/20