Unemployed and work-from-home staff targeted in cyber crime spree

Cyber scammers are targeted newly unemployed people with fake job advertisements, while a spike in coronavirus-themed scams are also being directed at people working from home, Australia’s top cyber spooks are warning.

TEXT messages pretending to be from myGov, the Federal Government website which links people to Centrelink and Medicare, are claiming to tell people where to get tested for coronavirus – but are actually overseas cyber-criminals installing viruses and ransomware.

Other cyber scams are deliberately targeting businesses transitioning to working from home, as well as fake job advertisements for the newly unemployed.

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The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) are warning there has been a huge spike in COVID-19 scams which have been adapting to mimic real government messages and education campaigns.

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The Australian Cyber Security Centre is warning against a huge rise in COVID-19 themed phishing emails and text message scams. Picture: CreativaImages

Some texts, which come up on a phone as from "Gov" or "myGov" contain a link which sends the user to a website which installs ransomware, forcing the person to pay money to get control of their phone back.

The range of scams are targeting businesses and organisations, not just individuals.

A report from the ACSC indicated there were cyber criminals based in Eastern and Western Europe, Asia and Africa launching COVID-19-themed malicious cyber activity, including against Australians.

ACSC acting head Karl Hanmore said it was critical businesses have their software patched and up to date.

“A key concern for the Australian Cyber Security Centre is cyber criminals looking to prey on businesses as they transition to an increasingly remote workforce,” he said.

Fake job advertisements are asking job seekers to provide drivers licence details, which are then used for identity theft.

People working from home are being turned into unwitting money mules for cybercrime syndicates. Emails asking people to commit to a support a ‘coronavirus Relief Fund’ as a casual employee or volunteer by assisting with processing donations.

Instead, they are transferring proceeds of crime into untraceable cryptocurrency, the ACSC report stated.

There are also emails claiming to be from Australia Post or the World Health Organisation with viruses in attachments or redirecting people toward malicious websites.

The ACSC urged people to check who was sending the email before opening it and call the organisation using contact details from a verified website if you suspect anything. It also warned against opening attachments from unsolicited emails or texts.