The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) warned the public about the new SMS scam in Australia, urging citizens to click the link for Coronavirus testing locations. The new text messaging scam is using coronavirus pandemic to target Australian victims' banking details.
It may install malicious software
The latest scam in the country is now widely circulated. Its victims received a text message from a number marked 'GOV.' In the message, it instructed them to get tested for coronavirus and click the link provided.
The ACSC said they received a lot of reports regarding the scam. With that, the agency issued a warning telling the public to ignore the message and do not click on the link.
The SMS contains a message:
You've received a new message regarding the COVID-19 safety line symptoms and when to get tested in your geographical area.
This message has used two important keywords that can grab attention to the public, namely, safety and tested. These words were used to prey on the users to click the link.
Emails were first the first to be spammed
Australian Country Manager for cyber-security firm Proofpoint, Crispin Kerr, said the company noticed an increase in coronavirus-related email scams, sending more than 200,000 of these all at one time.
Kerr has stated that "These emails are extremely well-crafted and use stolen branding to make it appear they are coming from a legitimate, trusted source."
Most of the time, cyber criminals pretend to be someone else like a member of the 'World Health Organisation' and 'Australia HealthCare.' To convince their victims to click the link provided, they introduce themselves as part of legit organizations. The attached link in the message contains malware that gives unauthorized access to a network to hackers.
Protect yourself from Phishing scams
According to ACSC, you can stay safe from these spams by not clicking on the links provided by people or organizations that you do not recognize. Hovering on the links can also tell you the real web address. If you are unfamiliar with what it is, do not click on it.
Talking to your friends or family about the legitimacy of the message can be useful as well as contacting the relevant business right away. If you have accidentally clicked on the links and are concerned about your personal information being compromised, contact your financial institution.
Phishing and scams are not a new thing, unfortunately, but it is best to stay safe and protected.
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