The NHS has been named the government “brand” that cybercriminals most impersonate to appeal to the public in 2022.

The National Health Service tops the list of departments, agencies and bodies most likely to pose as cybercriminals to defraud the public in 2022.

British people have been warned by cybersecurity experts to beware of emails and text messages sent by scammers that appear to come from official channels such as the NHS, encouraging recipients to navigate unsafe websites or upload viruses or spyware to their site. Devices.

TV licensing was the second most common identity fraud last year, followed by HM Revenue & Customs and the UK government website gov.uk reported on the National Cyber ​​Security Center (NCSC) – part of GCHQ. The driver’s license and vehicle agency ranked fifth among the most used reports, while energy regulator Ofgem was ranked sixth.

A common tactic used in phishing, where hackers try to trick people into handing over sensitive information such as passwords or banking details, is to ask them to click on the wrong link, which downloads malware or redirects them to a fake website. to take advantage of current events. .

Their goal is often to trick recipients into visiting a website that can surreptitiously download a virus to their computer, ask them to make an apparently legitimate payment, or steal banking and other personal information.

This year, the NCSC saw cybercriminals take advantage of rising costs of living through utility bill fraud by Ofgem and tax deduction fraud by HMRC. They also continued to use the pandemic to try PCR test scams.

Tips on how to avoid becoming a victim of scammers

• Set up two-step verificationand use random three-word passwords to prevent cybercriminals from gaining access to email accounts.
• Choose your shopping location carefully: Research online stores, especially if you’ve never bought anything there, to make sure they’re legit. Read testimonials from people or organizations you trust, for example. B. Consumer websites
• Secure payment: When shopping online, use a credit card instead of a debit card if you have one. Most major credit card issuers protect online purchases and may be forced to refund you in certain circumstances. Using a credit card also means that if your payment information is stolen, your primary bank account will not be directly compromised. Also, consider using a payment platform such as PayPal, Google, or Apple Pay. When paying, look for a closed padlock in the web address bar – this means that your connection is secure.

The agency said it received 6.4 million messages to its suspicious email reporting service in 2022, bringing the total number of messages since its launch in 2020 to 15.8 million. As a result, 67,300 fraudulent URLs were removed this year.

“We know that cybercriminals are trying to use trends and current events to make their scams look convincing, and unfortunately our latest data shows that 2022 is no different,” said Sarah Lyons, associate director of business and community at NCSC. .

“By shedding light on these scams, we want to help people more easily identify common tricks used by scammers, which ultimately helps them stay safer online.”

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