How to Avoid COVID-19 Phishing Scams
Scammers are exploiting pandemic anxiety with fake health alerts, relief programs, and safety updates.
Attackers have quickly adapted their phishing campaigns to reference the pandemic — fake health authority alerts, phony government relief program applications, and "updated workplace safety policy" attachments are all showing up in inboxes right now, preying on genuine uncertainty and urgency.
The same fundamentals apply as with any phishing attempt: be suspicious of unexpected attachments or links, verify the sender's actual email address rather than just the display name, and go directly to a known official website for anything related to government programs or health guidance rather than clicking a link in an email.
If a message creates a strong sense of urgency or fear, that's often intentional — scammers know that panic leads to less careful clicking. Take a breath and verify before you act.
Related Articles
February 11, 2016
How to Recognize a Phishing Email
The warning signs that separate a legitimate email from an attempt to steal your credentials.
August 14, 2018
How to Spot and Avoid Tech Support Scams
That popup claiming your computer is infected and demanding you call a number is almost always a scam.
March 21, 2023
AI-Generated Phishing Emails Are Getting Harder to Spot
The rise of accessible AI writing tools has removed one of the easiest ways to catch a phishing attempt.
Prefer to have this handled for you?
Our team can take care of this and everything else on your IT plate — no obligation to find out how.