Researchers at Kaspersky have discovered a series of spam and phishing attacks aimed at exploiting the Coronavirus pandemic by targeting users who are waiting for packages to be delivered.
Some of these criminals are posing as delivery service employees claiming that a package has arrived, and to receive it, the target must read or confirm the information in an attached file. Once the attachment is opened, however, malware is downloaded on their devices.
According to Kaspersky, one example of this is a backdoor called Remcos that when installed on a PC or a phone turns it into a bot, steals data, or downloads additional malware.
In another scam, bad actors have been creating legitimate looking phishing pages for popular delivery services as a way to get their hands on credentials. Potential targets are encouraged to input details such as their e-mail and password into the Web site in order to track their packages.
Tatyana Shcherbakova, senior Web content analyst at Kaspersky, says the COVID-19 pandemic has created chaos in industries across the board, including delivery services, so it's no big surprise that attackers would jump on the bandwagon.
“With people regularly receiving notifications about delivery delays or item shortages and without the option to purchase needed items in stores, these types of scams have a high chance of success,” she adds.
Although people are eager to receive their orders, she advises caution, adding that it’s important to always carefully assess where these e-mails are coming from and make sure the Web page address is correct.
Kaspersky experts urge users to never open attachments or click on links in e-mails from delivery services, particularly if the sender insists upon it. Going to the official Web site directly and loggin into an account from there is a more sensible option, they conclude.
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