With the news this week that £28,000 worth of Beyonce concert tickets have been fraudulently sold to fans, David Emm, senior security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, has given his viewpoint on why this will be a common occurrence this Summer, especially in relation to tickets to the Brazilian World Cup, and general advice on how to avoid fraudulent ticket sales:
Today there are so many fake ticket sites willing to manipulate unsuspecting people, especially where big concerts and sporting events are concerned. In cases where tickets sell out in the first couple of minutes / hours, people can often see an offer and jump at the chance of getting their hands on hot tickets without considering that it might not be as genuine as they think. With big artists touring the UK this year, such as Beyonce, Justin Timberlake and One Direction, people need to be careful when searching the web for sold-out tickets.
The Brazil World Cup is another example and the event has already drawn the attention of phishers – as discussed here .
They are obviously trying to cash-in on the huge interest in the event and exploit the interest of soccer fans keen to obtain match tickets online. They do this by sending out e-mails containing malicious attachments or links. Those tempted to click end up becoming infected with malware, or being redirected to a fake web site that captures their personal data – bank or credit card information. We’re currently blocking between 70 and 100 fraudulent sites worldwide every day – and 40 to 50 in Brazil alone. Most of the attacks we’re blocking are phishing, fake giveaways and fraudulent websites selling tickets, as described here
We all need to be alert to the dangers. Some tips to remember:
1. When opening an e-mail remember to ask yourself whether or not you know the sender. If not – be extra sensitive to the fact that it might be a spam or phishing e-mail.
2. Don’t be caught off-guard by an e-mail that looks official, or seems to be from a legitimate organisation – not all fraudsters generate badly-written messages.
3. Be on your guard for anyone asking you for money, or requesting an unusual amount of personal information, especially bank account or credit card details.
4. If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
David Emm, Senior Security Researcher, Kaspersky Lab
David is an internet safety expert who works with the Global Research and Analysis Team at Kaspersky Lab. What David doesn’t know about online security is not worth knowing and he is passionate about sharing his knowledge with others. David writes articles and white papers on the latest cyber security issues and delivers presentations and training on malware-related matters. Having worked at Kaspersky Lab for over nine years and in the security industry for more than 22, he’s well schooled on the various issues faced by both businesses and consumers.
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