Covid-19: Beware of criminals pretending to be your insurer

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt global health, economic, political and social systems, there’s another major threat rising in the digital space – insurance, banking and donations scams.

The spread of Covid-19 has pushed many organisations to adopt remote work policies. This increase in remote work has created a gap in cyber security and it’s becoming a growing concern as cyber criminals are exploiting the pandemic to target organisations (to install malware) and individuals (to steal sensitive information).

Hackers and cyber criminals are taking advantage of the pandemic by sending fraudulent emails that look legitimate and attempt to trick you into clicking on malicious links or opening attachments.

The Insurance Crime Bureau said there has been a big increase in phishing and SMS scams that prey on increased reliance on digital tools, looking to commit insurance, banking or donations fraud related to Covid-19.

In a statement, the Bureau said some “red flags” to watch out for are APPLY for insurance discounts by clicking the following the link, or DONATE by clicking the following the link, or click on the link to UPDATE your banking information as your account has been frozen.

“We are strongly urging our members and the public to remain vigilant of suspicious messages attempting to take advantage of the Covid-19 emergency. It takes a concerted team effort to fight back against criminals, as no individual organisation has the capacity to single-handedly stop these criminals. By combining the resources and
expertise of insurers and law enforcement agencies, fraud can be detected, deterred and stopped — helping to protect us all,” the statement read.

Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news

Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).