During times of uncertainty, it’s natural to seek information and answers through the internet and social media. Unfortunately, criminals will often use that to their advantage. One type of cybercriminal activity is called Phishing—this is when a data thief impersonates a legitimate person or company via email to bait the recipient into reporting confidential information or gaining unauthorized access to systems. Reports of malware (malicious software) disguised as a coronavirus map are also being reported. Watch for email senders using suspicious or misleading domain names. Inspect URLs carefully (without clicking on the link) to make sure they’re legitimate and not imposter sites.

To obtain reliable information, stick to credible resources like the Centers for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov), National Institutes of Health (www.nih.gov), World Health Organization (www.who.int) and other well-known local and national news reporting agencies.

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