Cyber security experts have revealed the top six government impersonation scams they have removed from the internet in 2022 as they urged the public to remain vigilant to cyber crime in the year ahead.
The scams unveiled by the National Cyber Security Centre – a part of GCHQ – included phishing emails and messages from cyber criminals impersonating well-known HMG brands, such as the NHS, HMRC and Ofgem.
Phishing involves the attempt by hackers to trick people into doing ‘the wrong thing’, such as clicking a bad link that will download malware or direct them to a fake website. Their aim is often to make recipients visit a website, which may download a virus onto their computer, ask you to make a payment or steal bank details and other sensitive information.
Cyber criminals often seek to exploit topical events to make their phishing attempts more convincing. In 2022, the NCSC saw scammers exploit the rising cost of living with Ofgem energy bill support scams and HMRC tax rebate scams, while scammers continued to take advantage of the coronavirus pandemic to attempt PCR test scams.
The top HMG branded attacks that have been reported to SERS that have resulted in takedowns are:
- National Health Service (NHS)
- TV Licensing
- HM Revenue & Customs
- Gov.uk
- DVLA
- Ofgem
