Helston residents warned following multiple coronavirus scams

Cornwall Council Trading Standards have released warnings for residents following multiple scams that are taking advantage of the vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic.

The scams are taking place in person, on the phone, by email and other places online.

A spokesperson from Trading Standards said:

"Criminals are exploiting fears about COVID-19 to prey on members of the public. They are particularly targeting older and vulnerable people who are isolated from family and friends. National Trading Standards is warning people to remain vigilant following a rise in coronavirus-related scams.

"Members of the public should ignore scam products such as supplements and anti-virus kits that falsely claim to cure or prevent COVID-19. In some cases, individuals may be pressured on their own doorsteps to buy antivirus kits.

"They may also be persuaded into purchasing products that are advertised on their social media feeds. Some call centres that previously targeted UK consumers with dubious health products are now offering supplements that supposedly prevent COVID-19."

DIGITAL SCAMS:

Online scams

• Email scams that trick people into opening malicious attachments. They put people at risk of identity theft with personal information, passwords, contacts and bank details at risk. Some of these emails have lured people to click on attachments by offering information about people in the local area who are affected by coronavirus.

• Fake online resources such as false Coronavirus Maps. They deliver malware such as AZORult Trojan. This is an information-stealing program which can infiltrate a variety of sensitive data. A prominent example that has deployed malware is 'corona-virus-map[dot]com'.

• Emails saying that you can get a refund on taxes, utilities or similar are usually bogus. They are just after your personal and bank details.

Ransomware

• Ransomware is malicious software that prevents you from accessing your computer (or data that is stored on your computer). If your computer is infected with ransomware, the computer itself may become locked. The data on it might also be stolen, deleted or encrypted. Normally you're asked to make a payment (the ransom), in order to 'unlock' your computer (or to access your data). However, even if you pay the ransom, there is no guarantee that you will get access to your computer, or your files. This is one of the reasons why it's important to always have a recent backup of your most important files and data.

• Ransomware makes your data or computers unusable and asks you to make a payment to release it. If your computer is already infected with ransomware, the National Security Crime Centre has some useful recovery steps.

Homeworking

• Organisations are being urged to follow cybersecurity best practice guidance. This is to help prepare for an increase in home and remote working in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

• The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has published advice for UK companies to reduce the risk of a cyber attack on deployed devices. This includes laptops, mobiles and tablets. There are also tips to help staff spot typical signs of phishing scams.

PHONE

As more people self-isolate at home there is an increasing risk that telephone scams will also rise. This includes criminals claiming to be your bank, mortgage lender or utility company.

Your bank or the police will never ask for your bank details over the phone.

There are new mobile phone applications that claim to give you updates on the virus. Instead, they lock your phone and demand a ransom.

FINANCIAL

Donation scams

There have been reports of thieves extorting money from consumers by claiming they are collecting donations for a COVID-19 'vaccine'.

Loan sharks

Illegal money lenders are expected to prey on people's financial hardship. Lending money before charging extortionate interest rates and fees through threats and violence.

REFUND SCAMS

Companies offering fake holiday refunds for individuals who have been forced to cancel their trips. People seeking refunds should also be wary of fake websites set up to claim holiday refunds.

COUNTERFEIT GOODS

Fake sanitisers, face masks and Covid19 swabbing kits sold online and door-to-door. These products can often be dangerous and unsafe. There are reports of some potentially harmful hand sanitiser containing glutaral (or glutaraldehyde). This was banned for human use in 2014.

DOORSTEP

Criminals targeting older people on their doorstep and offering to do their shopping. Thieves take the money and do not return.

Doorstep cleansing services that offer to clean drives and doorways to kill bacteria and help prevent the spread of the virus.