Covid-19: scams & security issues

Sorry, but there’s too much happening and noone seems to be reading this page, so I won’t be maintaining it further for the foreseeable future.  [1st May 2020]

Most recent links at the top, older links at the bottom.

22nd April 2020

• TechRepublic: How to prevent Zoom bombing
• BBC: Zoom meetings targeted by abuse footage sharers
• BBC: ‘Zoombombing’ targeted with new version of app

18th April 2020

• Action Fraud: Criminals target members of the public with NHS scam emails
• Radio Times: More than £2m stolen in coronavirus-linked scams – “Fraudsters have tricked people into handing over more than £2m in coronavirus-linked scams, according to latest figures from Action Fraud.”

17th April 2020

• WJLA: ‘DO NOT click the link’; Police warn of scam COVID-19 text messages
• Nick FitzGerald for ESET: Scams, lies, and coronavirus

16th April 2020

• Seen on Facebook (a typical phone scam from a number used for a whole range of scams):”Mum and dad just had a phonecall about what they should do during the virus. They where told you must stay in and we are going to send you 2 masks 2 hand gels and gloves. Can you give us your address which she did then he said thats £29 can i have your bank details at this point she put the phone down . Please keep telling the elderly about these scammers
  Update few other people have had the same phonecall, number call received from is 02080402745″ 

14th April 2020

• Not strictly related to Covid-19, and not all quizzes are malicious, but there are certainly a lot around these days, and noone is checking all of them. CBC Canada: Why taking Facebook quizzes is a really bad idea
• WeLiveSecurity: Americans report US$13 million in losses from coronavirus scams
• Infosecurity Magazine: Dutch Police Arrest Suspected #COVID19 DDoS Attacker
• Chippenham Police via Facebook: scams targeting drivers by fake undercover cops
• BBC: “Fraudsters ‘profiting from coronavirus’ “
• ESET posts (other vendors are available!): Zoom/videoconferencing security, scams, ransomware etc. relating to Covid-19
• The BBC: ” Coronavirus: Call for apps to get fake Covid-19 news button”
• The Guardian: “Tech giants struggle to stem ‘infodemic’ of false coronavirus claims”
• A Pandemic Puzzle – article by me on another blog about what I sometimes call a semi-hoax relating to a poem by Kitty O’Meara. That is, there is some misinformation around, but it’s not exactly security-critical.

David Harley