The Spanish Civil Guard has warned via Twitter of a number of Ebola-related hoaxes that have appeared over recent days.
Once again, WhatsApp has become the main channel for such scams, which include bogus reports of new cases of Ebola or the canceling of classes at the CEU San Pablo University in Madrid due to a possible infection.
Hackers often exploit such situations for financial gain, and it was never in doubt that the first confirmed case of Ebola in Spain would give rise to these types of scams.
The Spanish Civil Guard have asked users to help avoid generating panic by not distributing these messages. They also encourage people to get their information through what they refer to as “serious channels of communication.”