(Bloomberg) -- As the threat of a coronavirus increases in the U.K., scammers are introducing it as a ploy to defraud unsuspecting people, the police said.
The frauds range from fake sellers of protective face masks that are never delivered to coronavirus-themed phishing attacks, with criminals often pretending to represent the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the World Health Organization, the City of London police said in a statement on Friday.
The scammers offer the recipient of the phishing email a list of people infected with Covid-19 in their area, the police said. The link that is included leads to a malicious website or requests a Bitcoin payment, they said.
Also Read | Layoffs Are Rising In Tech, But These Skills Are Helping People Unlock Better Pay
The suspected frauds remain limited, with so far only 21 reports since February. But victims have reported a total of 800,000 pounds ($1 million) in losses, the police said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Franz Wild in London at fwild@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Anthony Aarons at aaarons@bloomberg.net, Christopher Elser
©2020 Bloomberg L.P.
Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.
