NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A local insurance expert is warning the public about scammers who are attempting to take advantage of the public’s fear of Coronavirus.

Earlier this month, security researchers with IBM X-Force and Kaspersky, leaders in cybersecurity, discovered that hackers are sending spam emails disguised as legitimate information about the Coronavirus.

The emails actually contain malware that could infect either desktop PCs or smartphones.

Now the scam has come to the United States. Researchers have found phishing emails from cybercriminals purporting to be from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization and coming from “cdc-gov.org” instead of the CDC’s real domain which is “cdc.gov.”

“People need to be aware that hackers will use any means possible to gain access to your accounts, including a horrific virus that is killing people all over the world,” said Lisa Leach Goth, Owner of Charles Leach Agency, and local expert on cyber insurance.

The emails claim to have important information on the Coronavirus. It says that the CDC has established a management system to coordinate a domestic and international public health response and urges recipients to open a page that allegedly contains information about new cases of infection around their city.

Instead, the link takes them to a page that asks users to enter their login information. Once the information is entered, it is passed on to hackers who will then use it to access their email account.

In another version of the emails, coming from the fake “cdc-gov.org,” includes appeals for donations to help find a cure for the Coronavirus, even though the CDC does not take donations.