https://www.techrepublic.com/article/how-cybercriminals-are-exploiting-us-unemployment-benefits-to-make-money/?ftag=CMG-01-10aaa1b

Thinking of this, these scammers are leveraged the current coronavirus pandemic and have paid close attention the many means and avenues through which the governments and businesses and even individuals are trying to provide support during this period. These scammers have some part of information, taken them and used what the know to build up to find the loopholes or vulnerabilities that are exploitable. This is cybercriminals carrying out Reconnaissance.

Cybercriminals have been capitalizing on virtually every aspect of the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting lockdown. They’ve created malware designed to tap into the medical, financial, social, and even psychological repercussions of the outbreak. To help people and businesses affected financially, the government has been offering loans, stimulus packages, and increased unemployment benefits. And, of course, all of that represents another area to be manipulated by scammers.

Cybercrime forums on the Dark Web have been populated with conversations on unemployment benefits. IntSights researcher Yoav Harpaz Cohen said he found discussions around the benefits themselves, the regulations from each state, and the steps required to claim the benefits, according to the report.

One discussion thread discovered by Cohen centered around the various pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) benefits offered, detailing the minimum and maximum payouts available from each state and offering links to file a claim. Another thread revealed conversations among people looking to work together to collect the benefits by using different drops or mules. Such mules are recruited to launder the money.