The pandemic has provided a huge new opportunity for hackers, scammers, and criminals to target frightened and vulnerable people.
The ad on Own Shop, a dark web market, claims the vendor has been infected by coronavirus and is now selling their blood and saliva, which in theory could be immune to the virus and used to treat other coronavirus patients. “I do this to provide for my family financially,” the post states, under the $1,000 price tag.
The hoax post is part of a huge surge in COVID-19-related scams on deep and dark web markets where criminals seek to exploit public fear by offering products that could allegedly serve as virus tests or vaccines.
Other items on sale include rapid COVID-19 test kits, temperature detectors, and even a purported coronavirus vaccine.
“The limited availability of coronavirus testing — especially in countries like the United States — leads to demand for such products in black markets,” a report from global intelligence firm IntSights published on Tuesday morning said. “In all likelihood, however, these ‘products’ are in no way real, and buyers would be scammed out of their money.” Hackers, cybercriminals, scammers, and state-sponsored groups are all taking full advantage of the global coronavirus pandemic to gain a foothold inside secure government networks, and trick people into handing over their money, buying fake items, and disclosing personal information.
One of the most popular tactics for cybercriminals is to register websites using names like “corona” or “covid” to trick victims into thinking they are official domains.
