Olympic Games: Cheating with online website tickets increased

The time for the Paris Olympics is approaching and efforts to cheat by hackers around the world are also increasing, according to a relevant update by cybersecurity company Kaspersky. The Olympic Games will attract the world’s leading athletes, as well as millions of fans from around the world, which seems to enhance hacker interest in online fraud. Kaspersky experts have noticed an increase in cyber-criminal activity around the event aimed at user money and data. To understand how fraudsters take advantage of spectators’ interest, Kaspersky experts analyzed phishing sites related to the Olympic Games and identified the main shapes used today. Fake tickets With the Olympic Committee on counterfeit ticket offers and the fact that the family of a British swimmer was deceived by losing £250 as he was trying to buy tickets for the Paris Olympics, Kaspersky’s investigation confirms that fraudsters constantly create phishing websites. These sites offer Olympic Games tickets at preferential prices or claim to have places for sold-out events. This tried and effective fraud system has been repeated during many Olympic periods and Kaspersky experts expect these websites to multiply during Paris 2024. In this case, users complete a data form and transfer both their personal information and their money to crooks. As a result, they may receive invalid tickets or, most likely, nothing at all, resulting in financial losses and their data being sold to Dark Web forums. Example of phishing website offering tickets for the Olympic Games Plastic Corporate Gifts Many organizations during important events offer gifts for their employees, partners and customers. Recently, Kaspersky experts discovered a fake page posing as a French bank which offered its employees the opportunity to win tickets for events. Workers by filling in a form with personal information, including their internet account and passwords, allowed fraudsters to infiltrate the victims’ corporate sources and possibly disseminate further malicious content. Example of phishing website offering tickets for the Olympic Games Plastic Shops With Commemorative Species Kaspersky experts also discovered fake electronic stores that sell merchandise such as T-shirts, sports appearances, accessories and more. Needless to say, those tempted by these offerings never received the items ordered. Special mobile phone programs Cheats have created phishing websites that offer 48 GB free data packages for all networks. These websites invite users to provide personal information, such as phone numbers and payment details, under the pretext of activation of the data package. Once sent, this information is collected for malicious purposes, leading to possible financial losses and privacy violations. “During major events such as the Olympic Games, the volume of offers can be excessive and misleading,” says Anton Yatsenko, Kaspersky’s expert security. “Cheaters take advantage of people’s enthusiasm and rush, which makes it important to deal with every offer with caution. Remember, if anything looks too good to be true, it’s probably a scam. Take time to verify the authenticity of the offers and protect your personal information. Your vigilance can make the difference between enjoying the event or falling victim to a fraud.” To avoid fraud during the Olympic Games, Kaspersky experts share these tips: Verify authenticity : Buy tickets, goods or services only from official and reliable sources. Check the official website of the event for authorized sellers. Be cautious about offers : If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is. Be careful with great discounts and exclusive offers, especially if they come from unknown sources. Secure your data : Avoid sharing personal and financial information on unknown sites. Make sure the website is secure searching for “https” at the URL and a lock symbol on the browser line. Use security software: Maintain updated virus protection software and security software to protect against malicious software and phishing attacks. It protects its users from all types of phishing and fraud. Train: Learn about ordinary fraud tactics and how to recognize them. Follow updates from cybersecurity experts and official sources.