Heads up

[Pi_guy]

I hope I don't get blasted for posting something negative.

This is mostly for NY State residents at moment, but I suspect it will move on to other states. I have received several texts with this message.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in partnership with the NY DMV requires a validation of your Covid-19 status. (insert spoofed web site address here)

All the flags went off just like the end of an F1 race.
Heads up the other side tries to take advantage of any thing, not only if it looks to good to be true methodology.

The web site looks just like the NY state site but it asks you to load pictures of your license and SS number which I am pretty sure most legitimate government site will never ask you to do.

[DaveW]

...The web site looks just like the NY state site but it asks you to load pictures of your license and SS number which I am pretty sure most legitimate government site will never ask you to do.

Doesn't matter what it is - IMO, if it is an unsolicited communication asking for SS #, etc., online, it is spam looking for info to steal your identity.

[Pi_guy]

Doesn't matter what it is - IMO, if it is an unsolicited communication asking for SS #, etc., online, it is spam looking for info to steal your identity.

The issue was it looked real good and easy to fool somebody. The other side of it most expect a financial question to be spam but with the virus it has opened up a whole new angle to exploit. It came right after the deadline to be vaccinated or terminated past.

My first glance was I thought it involved contract tracing.
I did respond to the text with "WHY" and I did not get the normal message that you would get which goes alone the line of This account is not monitored -- which is what you would get from a legitimate source.

[alangbaker]

Your first line of defense against this kind of spoof is observation and common sense.

Almost every email client these days will present a "tool tip" showing the URL of any link in an email.

So put the pointer over the link (Don't click!) and wait.

If you get a tool tip, what does it say? Does it match what you would expect from a genuine email from the purported sender.

Even if you think it does, you can always visit the sender's website independently of any URL you've been sent.

Open a web browser and type in the address for the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (or Google for it), and go look what they actually have to say.

[Pi_guy]

Your first line of defense against this kind of spoof is observation and common sense.

Almost every email client these days will present a "tool tip" showing the URL of any link in an email.

So put the pointer over the link (Don't click!) and wait.

If you get a tool tip, what does it say? Does it match what you would expect from a genuine email from the purported sender.

Even if you think it does, you can always visit the sender's website independently of any URL you've been sent.

Open a web browser and type in the address for the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (or Google for it), and go look what they actually have to say.

It was a text....

[RussMcB]

<snip>

Heads up the other side tries to take advantage of any thing, not only if it looks to good to be true methodology.

I've read this sentence a few times and don't know what it's saying. Is it missing punctuation or something?

[swiftdrivr]

Heads up, the bad guys try to take advantage of any thing, so be on the lookout. You won't always have the usual tip-off of something that "looks to good to be true" to clue you in. They use other tactics too.


My best guess, anyway