US FTC warns about 7 scams targeting businesses during COVID-19 crisis

Washington DC [USA], May 2 : The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has warned businesses about coronavirus-related scams that are trying to exploit companies' concerns about the crisis.
The commission has listed seven scams including government check scams, robocall scams and IT scams.
"We have warned consumers about coronavirus-related scams, but businesses are at risk, too. Keep your guard up against these seven B2B scams that try to exploit companies' concerns about COVID-19," the commission said.
Under the public health scams, the commission said, fraudsters are sending messages that claim to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organisation (WHO) or other public health offices.
"They ask for Social Security numbers and tax IDs. Other variations direct you to click on a link or download a document Remind your staff not to respond to messages like this - and definitely do not download anything or click on links in an unsolicited email. It's the latest form of phishing aimed at stealing confidential data or installing malware on your network," it stated.
Another scam is the government check scams. The FTC has urged businesses to not fall for phony pitches that sound credible.
"If someone calls or emails you out of the blue claiming there's money available from a government agency if you just make an up-front payment or provide some personal information, it's a phony. Our checks from the government blog post offer tips on spotting those scams," the commission said.
The FTC has advised businesses to maintain security even when their staff is working from home because of the increasing threats of data scam. "With more people telecommuting, hackers are hoping companies will drop their online defences, making it easier to infiltrate data-rich networks," it said.
The US government body has expressed concerns regarding robocall scams during which fraudsters use the tele-phonies pitches to cheat people.
"Some of these tele-phonies pitch bogus test kits and sanitation supplies. Others have businesses in their sights. Curious what these calls sound like? This recording targets small businesses who may be affected by the coronavirus, warning them to ensure your Google listing is correctly displaying," it said.
The FTC has warned companies about fraud perpetrated via business email. For example, in a CEO scam, an employee gets a message that appears to come from a company higher-up directing the person to wire money, transfer funds or send gift card codes.
The body also apprised businesses about supply scams in which few websites "claim to have the essentials you need, but in reality, they are fakes that take your order, grab your credit card number, and run".
In the IT scam, the fraudsters call or drop a message claiming to come from a member of the technology staff, asking for a password or directing the recipient to download software.
"These scams pose a particular problem now due to what cybercrime experts call social engineering -- the dark art of manipulating human behavior to facilitate fraud," the FTC warned.