'COVID-19 Relief Fund' Email Scam
Cyber crooks are exploiting the Coronavirus pandemic to propagate various tactics and threats online all around the world. Among the latest online tactics that are COVID-19-themed is the ‘COVID-19 Relief Fund’ email con. The goal of the ‘COVID-19 Relief Fund’ email scam is to trick users into believing that they have been selected for a one-time fund that is worth the whopping $155,000. Most of the Coronavirus-themed tactics online target regular users, but this is not the case with the ‘COVID-19 Relief Fund’ con. This online tactic is directed towards business owners that may be struggling due to the Coronavirus outbreak and the resulted lockdown.
The fraudulent email claims that the one-time support fund is sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Tricksters are using the name of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation as it is known to have been very active in the battle against the Coronavirus pandemic, but rest assured that they are not giving away free money to random business owners. So far, malware researchers have not been able to find out what the end goal of the con artists is. However, it is likely that the people behind the ‘COVID-19 Relief Fund’ tactic will ask their targets for personal details such as a home address, mobile phone, email address and even banking details. The email states that the users who have been selected to receive the relief fund will have to provide their occupation, full name, location, and phone number in order to claim the sum. Many con artists like the ones behind the ‘COVID-19 Relief Fund’ con tend to ask their targets to pay a sum as a transaction fee, or they will not be eligible for receiving the fund. Keeping in mind that the promised sum is $155,000, it is likely that the fraudsters will ask for no less than several hundred dollars as a ‘transaction fee.’
If you receive an email regarding the COVID-19 pandemic from an unknown source, it is advisable to ignore it as it may be a tactic that may cost you dearly.
