Security News > 2020 > March > Online face mask sales scams, 400% uptick of coronavirus phishing reports: Brit cops' workload shifts online along with the nation's
British police are saying coronavirus-related fraud reports have spiked by 400 per cent over the past six weeks as the COVID-19 illness continues its inexorable march through humanity.
Although absolute numbers of reports are low, perhaps kept that way because the public now knows Action Fraud is largely useless, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau said there were a total of 200 reports of coronavirus scams made to them since 1 February.
"The majority of reports are related to online shopping scams where people have ordered protective face masks, hand sanitiser, and other products, which have never arrived," said the NFIB in a statement.
The police unit's chief, Superintendent Sanjay Andersen, added: "The majority of scams we are seeing relate to the online sale of protective items, and items that are in short supply across the country, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We're advising people not to panic and to think about the purchase they are making. When you're online shopping it's important to do your research and look at reviews of the site you are buying from."
Infosec biz Check Point said earlier this week it had seen an uptick in cybercrime forum activity, including criminals offering discounts to fellow crims for using coronavirus-themed bait in online scams and phishing attacks.