{"id":1090,"date":"2020-10-05T02:07:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-05T02:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog-2023\/?p=1090"},"modified":"2023-06-22T21:46:47","modified_gmt":"2023-06-22T21:46:47","slug":"staying-safe-online-amid-the-rise-of-covid-scams","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/staying-safe-online-amid-the-rise-of-covid-scams\/","title":{"rendered":"Scams to watch out for during COVID-19"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"1090\" class=\"elementor elementor-1090\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6d8e2e6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6d8e2e6\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2b8f1c0\" data-id=\"2b8f1c0\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cdfa130 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cdfa130\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.13.3 - 28-05-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>We are living in dynamic and, for many, difficult times. So much of the way we communicate, work, go to school, shop, get groceries, medicine, and supplies is now happening almost entirely over the internet.<\/p><p>That\u2019s why, six months after the COVID-19 pandemic first sent the country into lockdown, it is more important than ever to stay safe online. Our increasingly digital lives,\u00a0coupled with today\u2019s uncertainty, mean the pandemic-fueled surge in online hacking will likely continue. This is true both for our personal accounts, as well as on the national level, especially given the upcoming presidential election.<\/p><p>We break down the most important trends to understand today in digital security.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-fc3bcd3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-template\" data-id=\"fc3bcd3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"template.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-template\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"196\" class=\"elementor elementor-196\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-339b45e0 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"339b45e0\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3f771e94\" data-id=\"3f771e94\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-44435407 elementor-cta--skin-classic elementor-animated-content elementor-bg-transform elementor-bg-transform-zoom-in elementor-widget elementor-widget-call-to-action\" data-id=\"44435407\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"call-to-action.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<link rel=\"stylesheet\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/elementor\/css\/custom-pro-widget-call-to-action.min.css?ver=1764022918\">\t\t<a class=\"elementor-cta\" href=\"https:\/\/simplywise.app.link\/Iv0wVANrvfb\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-content-item elementor-cta__content-item elementor-icon-wrapper elementor-cta__icon elementor-view-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"far fa-lightbulb\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-cta__title elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item\">DID YOU KNOW?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__description elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRetirement is 99% easier when your paperwork is organized. \n\nJoin 250,000+ Americans securely storing their important receipts, bills &amp; documents with the SimplyWise app.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__button-wrapper elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-cta__button elementor-button elementor-size-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tGet the App\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a93fd4f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"a93fd4f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>#1 Social Media Hacking<\/h3><p>One of the biggest threats of this year has targeted high-profile individuals on social media. The list of people who have been hacked is endless, from Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Bill Gates, and Jeff Bezos, to Elon Musk and even corporations like Apple.<\/p><p>Hackers took over these \u201ccelebrity\u201d accounts and used them to post bitcoin scam links.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1ce3cc3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"1ce3cc3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.13.3 - 28-05-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"398\" src=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image1-1024x637.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1093\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image1-1024x637.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image1-300x187.png 300w, https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image1-768x478.png 768w, https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/image1.png 1218w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-16f78fe elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"16f78fe\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>These hackers collected over $100,000 by conning regular citizens into sending money. The FBI was able to trace the information to identify 17-year-old Graham Ivan Clark. Clark and his accomplices used social engineering to trick a Twitter employee into giving them credentialing information, which would later allow them to access, hack, and abuse sensitive information from Twitter servers. This hack has been called the \u201cGreatest Twitter Hack of all time\u201d and created buzz in the cybersecurity realm. The extent to which this attack could have affected foreign policy and international markets is unthinkable. Clark has been pressed with 30 counts of felony.<\/p><p>This hack highlights that social media is not always as secure as we assume it may be. Scraping the internet, researchers have found that at least 235 million social profiles have been exposed online, including information like names, birthdays, engagement history (such as likes and comments), location history, and social group identifiers, according to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.comparitech.com\/blog\/information-security\/social-data-leak\/\">Comparitech<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p><p>That is why we always recommend ensuring your social media profile is private. It\u2019s also important to create a strong password that you rotate out every six months. Consider investing in a password manager like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/1password.com\/landing\/password-manager\/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=10693428688&amp;utm_content=452812960925&amp;utm_term=best%20password%20manager&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkfO-66aP7AIVGYTICh1P7wycEAAYBCAAEgJ7nPD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds\">1Password<\/a>\u00a0(currently $4.99\/month for a family of five), and at the least, be sure to write your passwords down somewhere secure.\u00a0<\/p><p>Making your social media accounts private stops hackers from using your name in spam marketing and phishing campaigns. It also ensures you are less susceptible to future attacks, as your personal information won\u2019t be roaming the dark web.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-e51c625 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"e51c625\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-6911e58\" data-id=\"6911e58\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f6f80b7 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"f6f80b7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"486\" src=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-20-at-9.10.08-PM.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1094\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-20-at-9.10.08-PM.png 691w, https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-20-at-9.10.08-PM-300x228.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-9782122\" data-id=\"9782122\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0fec47e elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0fec47e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>#2 Election Hacking<\/b><\/p><p>Many hackers are politically motivated. But in 2020, when the U.S. has already seen a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.statista.com\/statistics\/1106863\/covid-19-daily-in-home-data-usage-change-us-2020\/\">38% increase in internet usage<\/a>, and a critical presidential election is fast approaching, we must be especially vigilant of this activity.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>Some of the largest groups attacking U.S. political campaigns and organizations include Strontium from Russia, Zirconium from China, and Phosphorus from Iran.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c324fde elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c324fde\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Strontium, a group from Russia, was identified by the Mueller report as a primary source of attacks in the 2016 election. The group continues today to launch campaigns to steal citizens\u2019 credentialing information to use for intelligence and spam marketing to disrupt operations. Strontium has affected over 200 political groups representing all parties, and has recently started attacking businesses in entertainment, hospitality, financial services, and manufacturing. The group has heavily relied on \u201cspear phishing\u201d, a way to capture credentialing through spam marketing campaigns. They\u2019ve also used brute force tactics, and continue to re-invent the way they attack online.<\/p><p>As citizens and voters in a democracy, we need to understand these threats from abroad that seek to undermine our political system. Their efforts can indirectly, or even directly, affect our voting system.<\/p><h3>#3 E-Commerce Hacking (Google &amp; Amazon)<\/h3><p>E-commerce has been another big target this year for \u201cphishing\u201d attacks. Brand phishing involves a scammer that imitates the official website of a well-known company or bank by having a similar URL and style to the original site. The link to that fraudulent site might be sent via email or SMS message or via a shady link while a user is browsing the web. These scam sites posing as the \u2018real thing\u2019 will typically contain a form meant to steal someone\u2019s personal information or credentials. They can also be used to solicit payments.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/cisomag.eccouncil.org\/brand-phishing-attacks\/\">Most of these attacks are done via the web<\/a>\u00a0(61% web, 24% email, and 15% mobile). They can appear as people on the internet run into fake websites, primarily through mistyping and fake search engines.\u00a0<\/p><p>To stay safe, we recommend that you constantly verify the website URL, particularly if you are giving any personal or banking information. It\u2019s also important to be wary of clicking on any promotional links in an email. Also, have your guard up when you see a product that appears extremely underpriced. For example, a 50% discount on an iPhone is a common luring technique for hackers to steal information and prey on victims.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><p>You may also consider trying out a virtual card.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/the-2020-guide-to-virtual-credit-cards\/\">Virtual cards<\/a>\u00a0are temporary, randomly-generated credit card numbers you can use to shop safely online without ever giving up your actual account information. A number of banks and financial institutions are starting to offer them today as a way to keep their customers\u2019 actual account numbers from ever appearing online.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-09d56d2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"09d56d2\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-49db323\" data-id=\"49db323\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1abfb8b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"1abfb8b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>#4 Stalkerware<\/h3><p>Stalkerware is software that allows a remote user to monitor the activities happening on another user\u2019s device without that user\u2019s consent. It can track your location, record calls or texts, steal passwords for accounts you log into with your phone, and reveal contacts, photos, and more. It can be used to spy on a user by a hacker\u2014but also by someone you know, like a paranoid spouse or a boss.<\/p><p><a href=\"https:\/\/cisomag.eccouncil.org\/brand-phishing-attacks\/\">Most of these attacks are done via the web<\/a>\u00a0(61% web, 24% email, and 15% mobile). They can appear as people on the internet run into fake websites, primarily through mistyping and fake search engines.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-1266959\" data-id=\"1266959\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-23cae96 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"23cae96\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"582\" src=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-20-at-9.11.12-PM.png\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-image-1095\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-20-at-9.11.12-PM.png 679w, https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/Screen-Shot-2023-06-20-at-9.11.12-PM-300x273.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ff2d7ef elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ff2d7ef\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d848350 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default elementor-section elementor-top-section\" data-id=\"d848350\" data-element_type=\"section\"><div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\"><div class=\"elementor-row\"><div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-13b3f75 elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column\" data-id=\"13b3f75\" data-element_type=\"column\"><div class=\"elementor-column-wrap  elementor-element-populated\"><div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\"><div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3fb14de elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3fb14de\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\"><div class=\"elementor-widget-container\"><div class=\"elementor-text-editor elementor-clearfix\"><p>To stay safe, we recommend that you constantly verify the website URL\u2014particularly if you are giving any personal or banking information. It\u2019s also important to be wary of clicking on any promotional links in an email. Also, have your guard up when you see a product that appears extremely underpriced. For example, a 50% discount on an iPhone is a common luring technique for hackers to steal information and prey on victims.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><section class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5ce6dad elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default elementor-section elementor-top-section\" data-id=\"5ce6dad\" data-element_type=\"section\"><div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\"><div class=\"elementor-row\"><div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-655ca06 elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column\" data-id=\"655ca06\" data-element_type=\"column\"><div class=\"elementor-column-wrap  elementor-element-populated\"><div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap\"><div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-29eb722 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"29eb722\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\"><div class=\"elementor-widget-container\"><div class=\"elementor-text-editor elementor-clearfix\"><p><b>How to protect yourself from scams<\/b><\/p><p>If you think you may be on a call or text with a scammer, do not engage\u2014even to tell them you know it is a scam. Hang up, do not answer the text, don\u2019t click the link, delete that email.\u00a0<\/p><p>We also suggest changing your passwords frequently, at least every 30-60 days. This will stop the risk of having your information stolen by malicious hackers. To check if your personal email account has been compromised, we recommend \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/haveibeenpwned.com\/\">Have I Been Pwned<\/a>\u201d\u2014a free resource that assesses the risk of your online accounts.\u00a0<\/p><p>We also suggest the following basic protocol to protect yourself from cyber attacks:<\/p><ul><li>Do not open emails from unknown accounts<\/li><li>Ensure multi-factor authentication (MFA) is activated on all personal accounts<\/li><li>Do not put personal information on your phone<\/li><li>Check the sender\u2019s email domain name<\/li><li>Look at the grammatical writing of emails received \u2013 if things seem off, they probably are<\/li><li>Do not provide personal information in your emails or on calls (with the exception of if\u00a0<i>you\u00a0<\/i>started the phone conversation and with a trusted source)<\/li><\/ul><p>\u00a0<\/p><p>Consider installing antivirus software on your mobile phone and computer like\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bitdefender.com\/media\/html\/consumer\/new\/100-vip-special-opt\/?pid=vip_special_offer&amp;cid=aff%7Cc%7Cir&amp;clickid=VxkWoEUewxyOWdawUx0Mo38TUkizgY23PztTwE0&amp;irgwc=1&amp;MPid=221109&amp;cid=aff%7Cc%7CIR&amp;adobe_mc=MCMID%3D62265559941161474230833475258953724683%7CMCORGID%3D0E920C0F53DA9E9B0A490D45%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1588537165\">Bitdefender<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/us.norton.com\/products\/norton-360-antivirus-plus?sid=trd-1450223857981379000&amp;cjid=6361382&amp;clickid=4a5fe9ff8d7b11ea824e036b0a24060f_800403598284036299%3AE2cXkS5EH2f_&amp;af_sub4=aff&amp;af_sub5=CJ&amp;c=CJ&amp;cjevent=4a5fe9ff8d7b11ea824e036b0a24060f\">Norton<\/a>.<\/p><p>Finally, while Social Security field offices remain closed, scammers continue to prey on beneficiaries. If you think you have been the attempted victim of a specific Social Security scam (whether you collect\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/10-important-facts-about-social-security-during-coronavirus\/\">retirement<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/guide-to-social-security-spousal-benefits\/\">spousal<\/a>, or\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/guide-to-social-security-and-death\/\">survivor<\/a>\u00a0ben<a href=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/costly-social-security-mistakes\/\">efits)<\/a>, you should immediately report it to the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/oig.ssa.gov\/\"><b>Social Security Administration\u2019s Office of the Inspector General<\/b><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p><p>The pandemic is already making life challenging for Americans. To stop these hackers from taking advantage of\u2014and adding to\u2014today\u2019s crisis, we must stay aware of existing and emerging scams, and take preventative steps to protect ourselves and our families.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9d3d3aa elementor-widget elementor-widget-template\" data-id=\"9d3d3aa\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"template.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-template\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"section\" data-elementor-id=\"196\" class=\"elementor elementor-196\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-339b45e0 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"339b45e0\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3f771e94\" data-id=\"3f771e94\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-44435407 elementor-cta--skin-classic elementor-animated-content elementor-bg-transform elementor-bg-transform-zoom-in elementor-widget elementor-widget-call-to-action\" data-id=\"44435407\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"call-to-action.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-cta\" href=\"https:\/\/simplywise.app.link\/Iv0wVANrvfb\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-content-item elementor-cta__content-item elementor-icon-wrapper elementor-cta__icon elementor-view-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-icon\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<i aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"far fa-lightbulb\"><\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-cta__title elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item\">DID YOU KNOW?<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__description elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRetirement is 99% easier when your paperwork is organized. \n\nJoin 250,000+ Americans securely storing their important receipts, bills &amp; documents with the SimplyWise app.\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-cta__button-wrapper elementor-cta__content-item elementor-content-item \">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-cta__button elementor-button elementor-size-md\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tGet the App\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>We are living in dynamic and, for many, difficult times. So much of the way we communicate, work, go to school, shop, get groceries, medicine, and supplies is now happening almost entirely over the internet. That\u2019s why, six months after the COVID-19 pandemic first sent the country into lockdown, it is more important than ever [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1091,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1090","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Scams to watch out for during COVID-19 - SimplyWise Cost Estimator<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Knowing how to protect yourself from today&#039;s rising in online hacking and scams - from Social Security to social media - is critical to staying safe online...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/staying-safe-online-amid-the-rise-of-covid-scams\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Scams to watch out for during COVID-19 - SimplyWise Cost Estimator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Knowing how to protect yourself from today&#039;s rising in online hacking and scams - from Social Security to social media - is critical to staying safe online...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/staying-safe-online-amid-the-rise-of-covid-scams\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SimplyWise Cost Estimator\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-10-05T02:07:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-06-22T21:46:47+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/shutterstock_1657402594.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"563\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Allie Fleder\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Allie Fleder\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/staying-safe-online-amid-the-rise-of-covid-scams\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/staying-safe-online-amid-the-rise-of-covid-scams\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Allie Fleder\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e1e876d7736d540f0047b6adc84e2ba1\"},\"headline\":\"Scams to watch out for during COVID-19\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-10-05T02:07:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-06-22T21:46:47+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/staying-safe-online-amid-the-rise-of-covid-scams\/\"},\"wordCount\":1392,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/staying-safe-online-amid-the-rise-of-covid-scams\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.simplywise.com\/blog\/staying-safe-online-amid-the-rise-of-covid-scams\/\",\"name\":\"Scams to watch out for during COVID-19 - 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