COVID-19: Cyber Criminals Pose as CDC with "Alert'' about Facility Closing

Published on August 17, 2020

Don't Click the Link

Cyber scammers are trying to take advantage of the COVID pandemic by getting Morris County residents to click on a internet link with "information'' supposedly sent by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), warns the Morris County Office of Information Technology.

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The scammers are using the COVID-19 pandemic to find creative ways to weaken your defenses.

In this instance, a supposed CDC email includes the following intense subject line: NOTICE OF CLOSING YOUR FACILITY AND DISINFECTNG THE AREA - BY NCDC WH 20982 COV-19 Due To Recent Coronavirus COVID-19 Pandemic.

You are instructed to download an attachment that is supposedly a letter from the CDC claiming they will close your workplace. If you download the file, however, you will find that it is actually a malicious program designed to gain access to your organization's sensitive information.

How to beat the bad guys:

Think before you click. These malicious actors are playing with your emotions and this threat relies on panicked clicking.
Never click a link or download an attachment from an email you weren't expecting. Remember, even if the sender appears to be from a legitimate organization, the email address could be spoofed.
If you receive a suspicious email that claims to be from an official organization, such as the CDC or World Health Organization (WHO), report the email to the official organization through their website.

Stop Look Think - Don't be fooled!

Get more information on COVID-19 scams from the Federal Trade Commission: https://www.ftc.gov/coronavirus/scams-consumer-advice