The coronavirus lockdown has kept people from going out and enjoying their meals in restaurants. It has lead to the surge of takeout orders for the majority of famous brands and establishments.
Pizza Hut is one of the most popular pizza makers and has received an enormous increase in demand for its products.
The company has recently warned its customers, however, of fake websites that were conveniently set up to phish personal information and credit card details from unsuspecting victims who want something to eat.
A warm front for a dark site
The sites in question have superficially authentic-looking addresses that try to mimic the original site to its utmost details along with its signature brand logo.
The lockdown has since resulted in the massive increase of demand for takeout order as people stay indoors to maintain social distancing guidelines. The creators of the websites are only a few examples of the criminals who are taking advantage of the coronavirus situation for their gains.
Action Fraud, a UK cybercrime reporting center, said the number of COVID-19 related scams and crimes have increased by a massive 400% since the beginning of the lockdown.
There have already been more than 1,425 reports of fraud related to the coronavirus, where victims have lost more than $3 million.
Pizza Hut has released a statement asking its customers to be vigilant and take extra care when trying to order online amid the risk of fake websites that are looking to steal their private information.
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A spokesperson of the franchise said their customers' safety is of utmost importance and priority and are always trying to find ways to warn and help them make transactions only on the official website.
The staff also said that their website has not been compromised in any way and advise buyers to keep an eye out for any suspicious websites.
The fake websites include ones such as 'https://pizzahutaccount.com' and 'https://pizzahut-service.co.uk.'
Simple advice to prevent incidents
The franchise has shared they've already reported the incident are currently coordinating with officials to locate and take down the scammers and their websites, which can be a challenge if the perpetrators are experienced, scam artists.
It is advised if you have been affected by these sites to immediately contact your credit card company and go to actionfraud.police.uk to secure their data and information appropriately.
Pizza hut has shared that the closure of dine-in establishments and collection services has resulted in the massive surge of online and over the phone orders for delivery.
The company has also released a 'contact-free' delivery service that consists of drivers bring ordered food to a designated location before moving away at least three meters away to give space for the customers to grab the food without the worry of coming near any other person.
The attempts come with a recent wave of cybercrimes that have started to plague the online community and business networks. One of the newest and considered a top threat in cybercrime threats is LockBit, a self-spreading and fast-acting malware that is capable of infecting a whole system in a matter of hours.
