In addition to creating hardship for hundreds of thousands of people, the government shutdown is also creating opportunities for scammers looking to cash in on the crisis.
As scams start appearing, security experts say if any part of government is suddenly reaching out to you on a phone or laptop, be suspicious.
“Hackers are opportunists,” said Aaron Rose with Check Point Software Technologies. “What they’re going to do is they’re going to say, ‘OK, we see this government shutdown. There’s no legitimate government organization that might be reaching out. How about we do that? We’re going to capitalize on that fear.’”
The following are some of the top scams, according to Silicon Valley security companies.
- Threats to take away your government benefits unless you hand over data
- Offers for money to those worried about government funds, like Social Security, during the shutdown
- Fake job offers
Local security executive Michelle Dennedy said if an offer seems too personal or unusual in any way, don’t trust it.
“Would my congressman or senator take the time to email me? Probably not,” Dennedy said. “Slow down. Think about does the DMV come to your home? No. Do they text me? No.”
Source: NBC Bay Area