Corono Virus Related- SCAM ALERT!!

The Bhutan Computer Incident Response Team (BtCIRT), Department of IT and Telecom (DITT) would like to earnestly request the general public to not fall into the corona virus related scam/phishing during the lockdown.

It has come to the notice of BtCIRT of a scam making rounds in the social media platform Whatsapp whereby the scam message indicates the government is offering money to all citizens above the age of 18 years old for which a link is provided for checking eligibility (as attached below):Any COVID related support or information that the government provides would be announced through BBS, websites and official Facebook pages of PMO, MoH or the Covid-19 information website, therefore do not respond  to or click on any links purporting to be from the government or any legible source. 

The BtCIRT would therefore like to advise all to adhere to the following guidelines and recommendations with regards to scam/phishing emails and messages:

  • Do Not click on any links received via SMS, Email, Instant Messaging Apps.
  • Never share your personal or financial information via email, text or instant messages, or over the phone. Be suspicious of unusual payment requests or requests for your personal and financial details.
  • Avoid sharing such emails, messages or links to avoid misinformation.
  • If you gave away sensitive information or clicked on links that harvest credentials without your knowledge, don’t panic. You can change your credentials immediately and still be safe.
  • Review your privacy and security settings on social media and keep all your accounts secure.
  • Henceforth, if you receive such messages, emails or calls please report to cirt@btcirt.bt so that we can disseminate information on it.

Refer BtCIRT articles for further information 

  1. https://www.btcirt.bt/corona-virus-phishing-scam/ 
  2. https://www.btcirt.bt/how-to-recognise-and-protect-against-email-scams/
  3. https://www.btcirt.bt/common-phishing-attacks-in-bhutan-and-how-to-protect-yourself/ 

Refer to video on how to detect Fake News issued by the Department of Information and Media:

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R12_y2BhKbEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UutQfy_nDnM