Cyber Crime

Watch out for Omicron COVID-19-themed phishing messages!

Threat actors have started to exploit the interest in the Omicron COVID-19 variant and are using it as a lure in phishing campaigns.

Crooks have already started exploiting the interest in the Omicron COVID-19 variant and are using it as a lure in phishing attacks.

People are interested in the spreading of the new variant, the efficiency of the vaccines and the measures that will adopt the states to prevent its spreading, and threat actors are attempting to take advantage of this situation.

An Omicron COVID-19 campaign was spotted by UK authorities and the National Health Service (NHS) is warning about the Omicron COVID-19-themed phishing attacks.

These phishing messages offer a free Omicron PCR test that will allegedly allow recipients to avoid restrictions. One of the samples shared by UK’s consumer protection organization ‘Which?’ and published by BleepingComputer were sent by the email ‘contact-nhs@nhscontact.com’ in the attempt to make emails more credible.

Upon clicking on the link embedded into the message, recipients are redirected to a fake NHS website where to apply for a “COVID-19 Omicron PCR test.”

The recipients have to fill a form with their data (name, date of birth, home address, mobile phone number, and email address), some security questions (i.e. mother’s maiden name), and finalize the procedure by making a payment of £1.24 ($1.65).

Clearly, the scammers aim at stealing the payment details of the recipients while making the payment.

Authorities are urging the citizens to be aware of suspicious emails or text messages that may be asking for financial details (i.e. credit card data, banking data). The NHS never asks for financial details in legitimate email correspondence.

“The NHS will: NEVER ask for payment – the vaccine is free NEVER ask for your bank details.”

Users that will receive suspicious messages can report them at “report@phishing.gov.uk”.

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Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, Omicron COVID-19)

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Pierluigi Paganini

Pierluigi Paganini is member of the ENISA (European Union Agency for Network and Information Security) Threat Landscape Stakeholder Group and Cyber G7 Group, he is also a Security Evangelist, Security Analyst and Freelance Writer. Editor-in-Chief at "Cyber Defense Magazine", Pierluigi is a cyber security expert with over 20 years experience in the field, he is Certified Ethical Hacker at EC Council in London. The passion for writing and a strong belief that security is founded on sharing and awareness led Pierluigi to find the security blog "Security Affairs" recently named a Top National Security Resource for US. Pierluigi is a member of the "The Hacker News" team and he is a writer for some major publications in the field such as Cyber War Zone, ICTTF, Infosec Island, Infosec Institute, The Hacker News Magazine and for many other Security magazines. Author of the Books "The Deep Dark Web" and “Digital Virtual Currency and Bitcoin”.

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