Fairfield PD says beware pandemic relief scam

Officers say the crooks are using a Dropbox link to disguise their malicious attachment

Talk about exploiting the coronavirus.

The Fairfield Police Department reports fraudsters are using a new phishing email — seemingly sent from a local government funding agency — to offer phony relief grants to those in need, and the crooks are using a Dropbox link to disguise their malicious attachment.

True, Dropbox is a legitimate and commonly used file-sharing service. Therefore, the email security filters that your home computer systems or business has in place may not consider the link as a red flag, increasing the likelihood of this email landing in your electronic inbox.

Here’s how the scam works, according to a department social media post:

The phishing email urges you to click a Dropbox link so you can download a file that supposedly contains information about your relief grant payment. The link even includes an expiration date for an added sense of urgency. If you click the link, then download and open the phony file, you are taken to a look-a-like Microsoft 365 login page. If you enter any information on this page it will be sent directly to the scammers. Remember these tips: • Never click a link or download an attachment from an email that you weren’t expecting. Even if the sender appears to be a legitimate organization, the email address could be a hoax. • Beware of unexpected deadlines. Scammers often create a sense of urgency to prompt impulsive clicks. • Get confirmation before clicking a Dropbox link. If you believe the file could be a legitimate resource for your organization, reach out to the sender another way — say, by phone — instead of trusting the email.

If it doesn’t seem legitimate, do not open the email, the police cautioned.