The scramble for World Cup 2010 tickets could lead to supporters handing over hard-earned money to cybercriminals unless they are savvy over online risks, warns Symantec.
Symantec has predicted a huge rise in World Cup-related spam and phishing attacks as the groups and fixtures for the 2010 football World Cup Finals in South Africa are announced. High-profile sporting events are one of the most abused opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit fans’ hunger for tickets with increased spam and phishing activity.
“As fans see the World Cup fixtures confirmed, tickets will sell like hot cakes. Supporters who struggle to secure them are likely to take risks and purchase tickets through unauthorised channels or believe the promises of unsolicited e-mails. This can not only land fans with useless counterfeit tickets, but also lead to the theft of their credit card details and fund organised crime,” said Gordon Love, regional director for Africa at Symantec. “It is important that fans remain vigilant, only visit legitimate sites and secure tickets through authorised channels, no matter what is offered to them. If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.”
Falling foul of these cybercriminals can be avoided by following Symantec’s simple best practice steps:
If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is - Many criminals use extravagant promises to lure victims into clicking through to malicious sites and divulging personal information.
Never click on links from e-mails - Links can contain viruses or Trojans, or direct users to infected websites.
Buy only from FIFA-registered sellers - FIFA has a strict code of conduct for all outlets and these are the only places fans should buy tickets.
© Technews Publishing (Pty) Ltd. | All Rights Reserved.
printer friendly version