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Scammers using coronavirus to prey on you online

The coronavirus is the latest way scammers are trying to take advantage of people online.

Experts say global events like the coronavirus provide a golden opportunity for scammers, so they are warning people to be careful, as always, of what they click on.

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Fake emails seeming to be from organizations such as the World Health Organization might appear legitimate, but they link to websites where criminals can steal your information, NBC News reported.

Another bogus email appears to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to NBC News. It looks like it takes you to the CDC’s website, but it’s a phishing attack that gets your usernames and passwords.

Experts told NBC News that people need to look out for spelling and grammatical errors. While there might not be any, chances are, a criminal could make a mistake.

People also need to check URLs before typing them in or clicking on a link. They should be carefully researched to determine whether a website is legitimate.

Another piece of advice experts have is to never enter data that a website shouldn’t be asking for. For example, the CDC will never ask for personal login credentials.

Officials told NBC News the malicious emails started going out in early February, making it one of the first big phishing campaigns of the year.


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