Kenilworth Watch, Warwickshire Police and Warwickshire County Council are jointly warning residents that fraudsters are taking advantage of the coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic to scam vulnerable people.
Since February 2020 there have been 21 reports of fraud where the Coronavirus was mentioned, with victim losses totalling over £800K. Ten of these reports were made by victims that attempted to purchase protective face masks from fraudulent sellers.
Some of the scam tactics have included:
Sending out coronavirus-themed phishing emails in an attempt to trick people into opening malicious attachments or revealing sensitive personal and financial details.
ADVICE
DO NOT OPEN SUSPICIOUS EMAILS (however plausible they appear) AND DO NOT CLICK ON/OPEN ATTACHMENTS
Impersonating the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). Fraudsters claim to be able to provide the recipient with a list of coronavirus infected people in their area. In order to access this information, the victim needs to click on a link, which leads to a malicious website, or is asked to make a payment in Bitcoin.
ADVICE
DO NOT CLICK ON/OPEN ATTACHMENTS
Selling unapproved and falsely branded products, (for example teas and essential oils), claiming they can treat or prevent the Coronavirus. There are currently no approved vaccines or drugs available to prevent or treat the disease.
ADVICE
DO NOT BUY ANY SUCH PRODUCTS The NHS treat everyone in the UK at the point of need. If you are feeling unwell follow advice at https://www.nhs.uk or contact the NHS on 111
Creating malicious web pages with coronavirus based domain names. These encourage Internet users to visit them, putting their computers at risk of viruses. Some are attempting to mimic genuine sources of information.
ADVICE
AVOID PAGES ON THE INTERNET WITH CORONA BASED NAMES
Cold calling residents offering ‘safe’ investments following falling share prices.
ADVICE
DO NOT DEAL WITH DOORSTEP OR COLD CALLERS
Taking advantage of vulnerable older people who are attempting to self-isolate. This may include offering to fetch shopping or carry out all household chores in return for cash or for divulging bank details.
ADVICE
DO NOT HAND OVER CASH OR PROVIDE BANK DETAILS TO ANYONE YOU DON’T KNOW
A scheme to support members of the Kenilworth community through the Covid19 event is being put in place. We hope to circulate details of the scheme once the organisers have provided the details to us.
ADVICE
KENILWORTH WATCH WILL ADVISE OF THE SUPPORT SCHEME ONCE WE HAVE THE DETAILS
General Advice to residents:
Watch out for scam messages: Don’t click on the links or attachments in suspicious emails, and never respond to unsolicited messages and phone calls that ask for your personal or financial details.
Shopping online: If you’re making a purchase from a company or person you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first, and ask a friend or family member for advice before completing the purchase. If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you have one, as most major credit card providers insure online purchases. For more information on how to shop online safely, please visit: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/shoponlinesafely
Protect your devices from the latest threats: Always install the latest software and app updates to protect your devices from the latest threats. For information on how to update your devices, please visit: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/securing-your-devices
Keep up with all the latest help, advice and information at: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/coronavirus
Kenilworth Watch 