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Scammers see opportunity with coronavirus, stealing USD 1.1 mln from victims

Monday 16 March 2020 12:26 CET | News

Fast-moving fraudsters have exploited the coronavirus to scam more than USD 1 million from victims who were fearful about the growing pandemic.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars were lost before law enforcement were able to stop cybercriminals siphoning away the cash in a series of rapid, multiple transfers. Interpol warned that scammers are targeting people buying protective masks, hand sanitisers, and medical items online, after shelves in bricks-and-mortar stores were stripped of products. Moreover, the law enforcement agency detected a surge in fake callers who claimed to be medical doctors demanding money to treat sick family members.

As a result, over USD 1.1 million has already been seized by Interpol, with police forces around the world freezing bank accounts before the fraudulent cash was stolen forever. The range of financial scams Interpol was investigating included telephone fraud, where the callers posed as doctors, and email phishing campaigns, nine.com reports.

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Keywords: coronavirus, scammers, victims, malware, payments , Interpol, bank accounts, fraudulent cash, fraud, cybercriminals
Categories: Fraud & Financial Crime
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Countries: World
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Fraud & Financial Crime






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