The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) released an alert detailing the methods scammers are using to carry out social engineering scams following natural disasters.
After hurricanes, floods, fires, and other natural disasters, scammers are more active than ever, looking to leverage social engineering techniques on concerned citizens in order to obtain their information.
They take advantage of people who need help, victims of disasters, and elderly people during times of crisis, since people are much less likely to think rationally during these periods of time. The unfortunate truth is that these scams become active after disasters because that’s when they’re most likely to work.
These techniques include pretending to be trustworthy people or representing official organizations, ultimately with the goal of getting you to click on a malicious email link or visit a fraudulent website.
“CISA recommends exercising caution in handling emails with disaster-related subject lines, attachments, or hyperlinks,” CISA said in the alert. “In addition, be wary of social media pleas and text messages related to severe weather events.”
If you’re in an area that’s recently faced a natural disaster, or you’re attempting to find help in the aftermath of a tragedy, please be cautious when opening email links, be wary of contractors offering unreasonable deals, aren’t licensed, or ask for all of the money upfront. Likewise for apartments or shelters that want money up front or seem shady.
In addition, be wary of people posing as government employees, organization employees, utility workers, and family members who would normally never contact you via email. Verify the sender online and make sure you don’t fall victim to a scam.
The alert also includes a variety of material that you can read for detailed tips on cybersecurity practices for avoiding fraudulent emails, imposters, charity programs, and government employees.