London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Hackers Are Sending Fake HIV Results And Coronavirus Emails To Infect People’s Computers

Hackers Are Sending Fake HIV Results And Coronavirus Emails To Infect People’s Computers

“Coronavirus has been exhausting for us,” said one cybersecurity researcher.
Hackers are sending emails with fake HIV results and coronavirus information that infect computers with malware, according to research from cybersecurity research firm Proofpoint.

The fake HIV emails are designed to look like they come from Vanderbilt University, possibly to exploit the credibility of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The emails, which include an attached spreadsheet labeled “test results,” have been sent to insurance, health care, and pharmaceutical companies. When downloaded, a user is prompted to install macros, which leads to them becoming infected with malware known as the Koadic Remote Access Trojan.

“It’s really the lure with the HIV test results and the use of a health university, that's really the thing that's interesting about this,” Sherrod DeGrippo, senior director of the threat research and detection team at Proofpoint, told BuzzFeed News.

The HIV test phishing attack emerged in late January, roughly the same time Proofpoint and other cybersecurity firms began tracking hackers using coronavirus-themed emails to infect computers. Some of the COVID-19 emails promoted fake cures and other conspiracies.

The emails targeted industries such as manufacturing, transportation, health care, and higher education. Proofpoint has had to create special tracking for malicious COVID-19 emails for the first time.

Coronavirus has been exhausting for us,” DeGrippo said.

Hackers are evolving their coronavirus messaging in line with the global response. Knowing that many companies asked employees to work from home, the hackers send emails that claim to be from company HR departments or executives. The victim would be asked to sign into DocuSign or Microsoft Word, which is when their credentials would be stolen.

They also spoofed the World Health Organization and targeted Italians once the outbreak worsened in that country.

“Italy's prominence within the coronavirus epidemic has caused the shift of it in the lure languages and geotargeting,” she said.

The HIV and coronavirus emails are effective because they inspire curiosity or fear in recipients, according to DeGrippo. “If they don't get [you with] one emotion, they're going to get the other one,” she said.

The Koadic malware used for the HIV phishing attacks gives hackers access to a computer and allows them to consider their next steps as they learn more about their victim. The next phase of the attack may come months after the initial infection. It could be ransomware, a banking trojan, or information theft. Kodiac is widely used in Eastern Europe and has been deployed by Russia, China, and Iran, though there’s no evidence any of those countries are behind this new attack.

To protect yourself from phishing, DeGrippo recommends using unique passwords across accounts, multifactor authentication, running regular virus scans on your computer, and being skeptical of emails from unfamiliar sources that trigger an emotional reaction.

“Using these really highly emotionally charged lures is becoming the standard,” she said. “We're just starting to see a move away from the shipping receipts and the invoices and the resumes into a trend of big emotional scare tactics and curiosity starters.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×