'UN COVID-19 Stimulus' Email Scam

More and more cyber crooks are jumping on the Coronavirus schemes train to generate some quick cash at the expense of innocent users. Cybercriminals have been very active the past month, creating malware and schemes with the COVID-19 theme. One of the latest Coronavirus-based schemes is the 'UN COVID-19 Stimulus' email scam.

The users targeted by this scheme would receive an email titled 'UN COVID-19 Stimulus.' Usually, fraudulent emails try to convince users either to open a bogus link or launch a corrupted attachment. In the case of the 'UN COVID-19 Stimulus' scam, the user is asked to open the file attached to the fake email. The email claims that the user is eligible for a stimulus package provided by the EU and the UN. Furthermore, the email goes on to say that the recipient would receive 20,000 Euros, a hand sanitizer worth 1,000 Euro, and face masks worth 1,000 Euro. There is an email provided as well – ‘MAGET.NORBRIGHT1@gmail.com.' The user is urged to open the attached file to get more information. The name of the corrupted attachment is 'WINNERS LIST COVID 19.doc.'

The goal of the 'UN COVID-19 Stimulus' email scam is to propagate a threat called Agent Tesla. The Agent Tesla malware is a RAT (Remote Access Trojan) whose main purpose is to collect the keystrokes of the victim. Keyloggers like the Agent Tesla RAT allow attackers to collect information from the compromised hosts. This means that the operators of the Agent Tesla threat can obtain the user's login credentials to various profiles and applications, and even get their hands on the victim's banking details. Needless to say, if cyber crooks obtain your login credentials and banking information, they have the power to cause great harm and huge financial loss.

Be very careful when opening emails from unknown sources. Make sure your computer is protected by a reputable anti-malware solution that will prevent you from falling victim to malware.