Florida Shuts Down Three COVID-19 Phishing Websites
Table of Contents
- By David Lukic
- Published: Nov 02, 2021
- Last Updated: Mar 18, 2022
Three fraudulent websites attempting to steal citizens’ driver information were shut down by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) on the 19th of October. These sites were trying to use the pandemic to exploit unsuspecting citizens and steal their information.
What Happened?
A week before the government shut down the sites, the Attorney General, Ashley Moody, released a “Consumer Alert” to warn people of a phishing scam in the state. She asked citizens to be wary of any phony text messages requesting their driver’s license information and reiterated that,
“The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles will never reach out via text and ask for personal information.”
How did the Sites Steal Information?
The scam involved sending text messages to drivers, asking that they provide details to get a remade license that indicated their COVID-19 vaccination status. The text included a link to a fake website that resembled the official website of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. On the site, there were input boxes that requested drivers to type out their Social Security number, driver’s license information, and even upload a scanned photocopy of their driver’s license.
How did the Florida Government Handle It?
The authorities got to work to take down the sites after they were confirmed to have fraudulent intentions. After a week, the Attorney General released a statement where she expressed her gratitude to her attorneys and the FDLE for their quick handling of the situation. She, however, stated that their work was far from over, imploring citizens to remain vigilant and immediately report any other possible scam.
Moody is asking the people of Florida to take note of some essential tips that will protect them from similar scams.
- Know that the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles is not requiring driver license updates listing proof of vaccination;
- Do not automatically trust any number listed on a caller ID or in an unsolicited text message;
- Do not post photos of vaccination cards or driver licenses online, as criminals can use them to commit identity fraud; and
- Avoid clicking on links in a suspicious email or a text message received from an unknown sender
How do I Avoid Phishing Scams?
Phishing is a type of cybercrime where individuals are contacted, either by mail, text message, or through a call, and deceived into providing sensitive personal information like bank information, credit card details, etc. Individuals involved in a phishing scam are usually convinced that they are conversing with a legitimate person from an institution they are associated with, such as a bank, hospital, etc.
There are different types of phishing- spear phishing, whaling, email takeovers- but the common factor is that the hackers gain the target’s trust and convince them to give out sensitive information. The hackers will, later on, use this information for fraud, identity theft, and so on.
You can avoid falling victim to this type of scam by:
- Protect your personal computer by using security and anti-phishing software.
- Update your security software and browsers regularly so they can recognize more recent scams.
- Stay informed on current scams.
- Think before you click on suspicious links sent to your email or phone number.
- Confirm the security of every website you visit.
- Use different and strong passwords for different sites.
- Log out of online accounts that you do not use frequently.
- Protect your account by enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Be wary of pop-ups and ads.
- Never give out personal information over the internet.
