[U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr has ordered federal prosecutors to bring to justice cybercriminals and those peddling fake cures who are taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis. [There have been reports of individuals and companies selling fake COVID-19 treatments online and engaging in other forms of fraud, reports of phishing emails purporting to be from the World Health Organization or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and malware being inserted into mobile apps designed to stop the spread of the virus reports," Barr wrote in an internal memo on Wednesday (March 16). [A pandemic is dangerous enough without rogue actors seeking to profit from public panic, and this type of behavior cannot be tolerated," Barr added. All U.S. Attorney's Offices are hereby directed to prioritize the detection, investigation, and prosecution of all criminal activity related to the current pandemic."

A copy of Barr's memo was obtained by Cyberscope and posted online.

Malware and phishing scams related to the coronavirus pandemic first began to appear in late January when the virus began to spread from central China, and fake cure-all scammers began to appear soon thereafter. [Televangelist Jim Bakker, infamous for his infidelities in the 1980s and subsequent scams, is selling a drug made from silver that he says cures COVID-19. Fringe talk show host Alex Jones is promoting a silver-infused toothpaste that "kills the entire SARS Corona family at close range" for $15 a bottle.

More recently, Bitdefender reported yesterday (March 17) that several websites have emerged purporting to sell hand sanitizers, medical face masks, surgical gloves, and digital thermometers, some in exchange for bitcoins.

"If you purchase these medical supplies, you will likely receive nothing while handing over your credit card data," Bitdefender's Liviu Arsene wrote in a blog post.

To avoid falling for these coronavirus scams, remember that there is currently no cure for this disease and no way to prevent infection other than washing your hands and minimizing contact with others.

Pharmaceuticals are certainly hard to come by, but there is no reason to believe that a website you've never heard of suddenly has a large stock of face masks and hand sanitizers.

Don't believe the posts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube about coronavirus treatments and prevention methods.

For reliable and up-to-date information about coronaviruses, go directly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO) websites.

Do not donate to coronavirus charities that solicit donations via email, social media, or text messages.

Do not rely on emails that say they come from the CDC or WHO, or open email attachments that come from other health agencies or local governments.

Last but not least, install and run the best antivirus software on your PC, Mac, and Android devices to protect yourself from digital infection as well.

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