You’ll want to remain vigilant against cyber scams as the coronavirus pandemic spreads. The latest scam is a coronavirus themed phishing email, reported to KnowBe4, a cybersecurity awareness company. Here are the details.

What’s the scam?

The email, reported March 27, 2020 alerts recipients that they have been exposed to the coronavirus through contact with a colleague, friend or family member. The malicious email then directs them to an attachment and urges them to proceed immediately to the hospital.

Courtesy of KnowBe4, here’s a screenshot of the email:

The attached file:

The attachment is an excel file billed as a “pre-filled” form that “victims” should bring with them to the hospital. It serves as a Trojan downloader and is currently detected by only a handful of major anti-virus applications. If the criminal is successful in getting users to follow the directions, it kicks off a download process for a sophisticated and dangerous backdoor Trojan.

Protect Yourself

Check out our blog, Beware of Coronavirus Phishing Scams. It contains helpful tips to stay safe online including the most important thing…never click on suspicious emails or attachments.

Since much of the coverage of the coronavirus centers on panic, scammers are using that buzzword “coronavirus” to steal your information.

Contact us for advice on your personal situation, and don’t forget to check out our Coronavirus Resource Center for the latest information.