Police in Edinburgh and the Lothians are today sharing a warning from Action Fraud UK that outlines the ways in which online fraudsters have been tricking people out of cash by using a new coronavirus based scam.
Action Fraud say people in the UK have lost more than £800k since February 2020 in cases of fraud after being scammed by fraudsters using the outbreak as a ploy - with one victim losing £15k.
Of the 21 reports, ten were made by victims that attempted to purchase protective face masks from fraudulent sellers.
One victim reported losing over £15k when they purchased face masks that were never delivered.
A spokesperson for Action Fraud outlined the new scam: "We have also received multiple reports about coronavirus-themed phishing emails attempting to trick people into opening malicious attachments or revealing sensitive personal and financial information.
"One common tactic used by fraudsters is to contact potential victims over email purporting to be from research organisation’s affiliated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
"They claim to be able to provide the recipient with a list of coronavirus infected people in their area.
"In order to access this information, the victim needs to click on a link, which leads to a malicious website, or is asked to make a payment in Bitcoin."
Reporting numbers are expected to rise as the virus continues to spread across the world - Edinburgh Live reported today that three new cases have been confirmed in the Lothians and Fife as the number of cases in Scotland rises to 11.
If you receive any suspicious emails about Coronavirus you can contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or report it on their website www.actionfraud.police.uk.
