With COVID-19 ravaging Europe, the streets are eerily empty. However, it seems like the criminals are also “working from home”. According to a press release from Europol dated March 27th, 2020, cyber-crimes and fraud is at an all time high and expected to increase over the coming weeks. Criminals are exploiting the global chaos for their own profits.

An exampling is the recent hacking of a hospital located in the Czech Republic. Criminals have extra leverage during the current situation as governments and authorities are more desperate for hospital capacity and therefore willing to pay larger randoms in order to return things to normal. It’s not just institutions on the hook either, individuals must be careful online and protect their information well. Catherine De Bolle, the executive director of Europol, stated that “Criminals will always try to get your identity, they will always be after your money. So you have to be very careful when you open emails, when you want to buy something on the internet, for instance, masks and gloves are very in demand at the moment.”

Indeed, there are many fraudsters exploiting the heavy demand for items such as surgical masks and gloves. It has been reported that an institution in the EU paid a company in Singapore 6.6 million euros for a shipment of personal protection masks. However, the money is gone and the goods never arrived. Meanwhile, sellers on platforms such as Amazon may take a buyer’s money but in turn provide substandard or defective products. In the first week of march, over 34000 counterfeit surgical masks were seized by European law enforcement. It is paramount for everyone to be aware of an increase in cyber-crime and protect themselves accordingly.

Stay safe and stay home

Charles

References:

EUROPOL. 27 March,2020. HOW CRIMINALS PROFIT FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC |Europol. [online] Available at: <https://www.europol.europa.eu/newsroom/news/how-criminals-profit-covid-19-pandemic>