Hurricane-Related Scams

Original release date: June 1, 2020

June 1 marks the official start of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warns users to remain on alert for malicious cyber activity targeting potential disaster victims and charitable donors following a hurricane. Fraudulent emails—often containing malicious links or attachments—are common after major natural disasters. Exercise caution in handling emails with hurricane-related subject lines, attachments, or hyperlinks. In addition, be wary of social media pleas, texts, or door-to-door solicitations relating to severe weather events.

To avoid becoming victims of malicious activity, users and administrators should review the following resources and take preventative measures.

• Staying Alert to Disaster-related Scams
• Before Giving to a Charity
• Staying Safe on Social Networking Sites
• Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Attacks
• Using Caution with Email Attachments

If you believe you have been a victim of cybercrime, file a complaint with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) at www.ic3.gov.

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