Another tip in a series provided by the Offices of Information Security, Information Systems & Computing and Audit, Compliance & Privacy

During national disasters and times of increased fundraising activities, hackers and financial scammers often try to take advantage of the situation in order to sell bogus products or trick you out of your money.  Bad actors set up sham non-profits, sometimes with what appear to be legitimate websites, or “sell” fake products without any intention of ever fulfilling the placed orders. The Division of Finance recommends these tips to protect your identity and financial data during this time of COVID-19:

• Never click on links in social media or in emails you receive from those you do not trust or know.
• Be wary of emails, SMS messages and Facebook links purporting to be from government agencies, like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Health and Human Services (HHS) or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Confirm information by going directly to those websites or using their official contact channels. 
• Avoid any online offers for medications or vaccines.
• Be skeptical of “investment” opportunities, and always conduct your own research into non-profits or entities seeking donations.
• Update your browser with the latest security patches. An out-of-date browser could be used to monitor your browsing to capture your sensitive information, e.g. credit card numbers and passwords. Install extensions from an official web store or from the company offering the extension, e.g. LastPass.  
• Consider using LastPass to secure your passwords in one location. Penn offers LastPass Premium to its employees and students free of charge. 

References:

Federal Trade Commission: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/coronavirus-scams-what-ftc-doing

LastPass: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/how-to/lastpass

For additional tips, see the One Step Ahead link on the Information Security website: https://www.isc.upenn.edu/security/news-alerts#One-Step-Ahead