Don’t be fooled by robocalls claiming to offer free coronavirus testing kits. The messages are a scam, according to the FCC.
On Friday, the agency warned the public to stay on guard against the fraud schemes, which are trying to exploit the coronavirus outbreak. “Scammers are promoting bogus cures, offering fake test kits, sending hoax text messages, and generally preying on virus-related fears,” the FCC said in today’s announcement.
The FCC uploaded a few examples to a new website dedicated to fighting coronavirus-related fraud. One of the scam messages goes like this: “[The Coronavirus] Response Act has made coronavirus testing more accessible immediately. If you want to receive a free testing kit delivered overnight to your home, press 1. If you do not want your free testing, press 2.”
The FCC also obtained a recording of a similar scam that offers a complimentary coronavirus test, but to people with diabetes. Another scam pretends to offer “a full air duct cleaning and sanitation to make sure that the air you breathe is free of bacteria” in exchange for $79.
According to the FCC, the scams are trying to dupe people into giving up their personal information, along with details about their health insurance plans. The information can be useful to perpetrate identity theft.
Other scams can involve fraudsters pretending to be the World Health Organization as a way to trick victims into also handing over information, or giving up money. Text messages that claim people should stock up on supplies because of a sudden national quarantine should also be dismissed as fake.
“Finally, there have been news reports about possible government-issued checks being sent to consumers. If that happens, no one will call or text you to verify your personal information or bank account details in order to ‘release’ the funds,” the FCC said. It adds that government agencies will never directly call you to ask for your personal information or money.
Security experts are also warning the public to watch out for phishing emails that pretend to have information on the coronavirus. In reality, the emails are actually a hacker’s attempt to trick victims into installing malware onto their computer.
On Friday, Microsoft said it recently detected one such phishing email campaign that was targeting business users by claiming to have information on how the coronavirus was disrupting the supply chain. Victims tricked into opening the email’s attachment would’ve downloaded malware to their computers.
“Had this payload been successfully deployed, hackers could have used it to steal credentials for other systems—in this case FTP accounts and passwords—which could then be used for further attacks,” Microsoft said.
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