Omicron Fear: Covid Test Related Email Scams Up 500pc

New Delhi: Owing to a spike in demand for COVID-19 testing in recent weeks due to the current Omicron type, hackers have returned to using the pandemic to execute further attacks, as per reports.

According to Barracuda Networks, a cloud-enabled security solutions vendor, COVID test-related phishing assaults have surged by 521 per cent since early October 2021.

Scammers have used a variety of methods to attract the attention of their victims.

They're using email to advertise COVID tests and other medical goods like masks and gloves. Some of them are selling counterfeit or otherwise illegal goods.

Also Read: Polluted Air From India Causing Toxic Smog in Lahore, Finds Pakistan Study

Scammers are also sending out fake alerts about unpaid COVID test orders, where scammers have provided a PayPal account to receive funds to complete the purchase of quick COVID tests.

Healthcare personnel and lab test providers have also been impersonated as legitimate staff by malicious fraudsters to publish phoney test results.

In addition, as some businesses strive to entice their employees back to work, they send out updated policies or ask for information on employees' vaccination status. These chats are being hijacked by hackers.

Cybercriminals impersonated an HR department and shared a file stored on a phishing site with employees in the hopes of acquiring their account credentials, according to Barracuda's investigation.

The criminals even imitated the Office 365 logo, claiming that the document had previously been screened for viruses and spam.

"Covid-19 has disrupted everyone’s health and mental sanity for almost two years now. The latest variant has brought yet another opportunity for the scammers to take advantage of the people seeking COVID-19 tests," James Forbes-May, Vice President, APAC at Barracuda Networks, said in a statement.

Also Read: India Concerned Over China Building Bridge Across Ladakh's Pangong Lake

"It is crucial to stay mindful while clicking on suspicious links or opening attachments in these unexpected emails and divulging any personal information when seeking a test, regardless of it being a legitimate site," he added.

It's vital to have a system that detects and protects against spear-phishing assaults, such as brand impersonation, corporate email compromise, and email account takeover because scammers can alter their email strategies to avoid gateways and spam filters.

Machine learning can be used to examine typical communication patterns and detect anomalies that suggest an attack.

According to the paper, deploying artificial intelligence-based technology can assist organisations in identifying compromised accounts, alerting users in real-time, and removing harmful emails received from compromised accounts.