Online fraudsters attempting to capitalise on Coronavirus fears - Garda warning

Gardaí have warned that fraudsters are exploiting the spread of the coronavirus to facilitate various types of scams and cyber-crime.

Garda Siochana in the Southern Region have revealed how their police colleagues in the UK have had a number of reports made by victims who attempted to purchase protective face masks from fraudulent sellers.

Fraudsters are also sending out coronavirus-themed phishing emails in an attempt to trick people in to opening malicious attachments or revealing sensitive personal and financial details.

In a statement Garda Siochana in the Southern Region asked that members of the public be vigilant about their security in the coming days and weeks.

"Fraudsters are purporting to be from research organisation’s affiliated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) contact potential victims over email.

"They claim to be able to provide the recipient with a list of coronavirus infected people in their area. In order to access this information, the victim needs to click on a link, which leads to a malicious website, or is asked to make a payment in Bitcoin."

Sgt James O Donovan the Crime Prevention Officer for the Cork West Division is reminding people to be very careful when taking calls from unknown numbers or replying to unknown emails.

He urged the public not to click on any links in emails if you are unsure of its origins.

Meanwhile, the Guardian newspaper has reported that fraudsters in the UK capitalising on the coronavirus are sending out fake "Centres for disease control" emails. They have already tricked the public in Britain out of £800,000, according to the police.

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) in the UK on Friday issued an urgent scam warning after identifying 21 cases of fraud involving coronavirus in February.

Ten of the frauds involved desperate buyers of face masks, with one person paying £15,000 for masks that were never delivered.