omicron: The latest con: A ‘free’ Omicron test

Chances are that you may have received an email promising a ‘free’ Omicron test. But this is more of a con than a genuine claim, and you may end up letting cyber crooks infect your device and empty your bank account. Many states across the country are reporting this new fraud in the name of Omicron.

Sources in the police department said that cyber crooks send emails with malicious links and files. If people open such a link or a file, their system — cell phone or computer — is compromised and criminals gain access to vital information.

In some instances, when someone hoping to get a free test clicks a link, bank account information is sought innocuously. Those gullible enough to divulge private information find their accounts emptied, according to the advisory issued by the cyber cell on December 30.

In many cases, people ended up sharing their details with fraudsters and lost their money in this time of crisis, said a police officer. The officer said that a formal complaint is yet to be filed in relation to such cheating cases.

“In most cases, people receive an email which claims to be from the National Health Service (NHS) of the UK,” a police officer said, adding that the message offers the Omicron test. The email senders also instil fear by saying that if the test is not taken, the recipient will be placed in isolation to prevent the spread of the infection, said the officer.

Sources in the state police said that cyber crooks also trawl the browsing history of a target and reach out if information on the Omicron test has been looked up.

Moreover, cyber crooks use addresses that appear to be from private and government hospitals. Police are advising people to scrutinise domain names to check the authenticity of websites and report any suspicious activity on the cybercrime portal.