In the News
Cybercrime relating to sports is ever increasing. In March Madness Scams Give Attackers Fast Break, Lindsey O’Donnell at ThreatPost discusses the insurgence of cybercrime surrounding major sporting events such as the NCAA March Madness Tournament. O’Donnell explains that malicious attackers use the gambling aspect of sporting tournaments and big games to lure victims into inputting their financial information on phony sites or through downloading malicious plugins. O’Donnell elaborates that scammers create legitimate appearing websites often using the tournament’s name to lure their victims. O’Donnell also states that by blocking official streaming websites for sporting events, establishments and organizations run the risk of individuals in their organization using alternative and often dangerous websites to watch the big games.
Our Take
Large sporting events and tournaments can be a time of create excitement for many. However, this excitement can also lead to a decreased level of caution when clicking on and navigating malicious websites or ads. Although many sports fans only utilize reputable and official websites and streaming services, there are endless fake and dangerous ones out there just waiting for victims to click on their sites/ads. It is vital that sports fans act cautiously when choosing which websites to stream sporting events through or use as supplemental entertainment amid sporting tournaments. Especially when dealing with finances, you always want to make sure that you are using a secure and legitimate site. Gambling on sports is very common, but it is easy to fall victim to a phishing scam or malicious site offering better deals or greater potential earnings. Cybercriminals are getting more skilled at spoofing the average sports fan. To stay protected from the dangers of cybercrime, we must all proceed with additional care and caution.
Recommendations
So how can you protect yourself from phishing attempts and malicious websites?
- Understand the risks of putting your personal information into the world, and only share what you have to
- Know the how to spot a scam and know how to act if you are affected
- Only stream live games and events through the official broadcasting site
- Verify the legitimacy of a website by researching it in a separate tab before inputting any financial or sensitive information
- Check your email, financial accounts, and credit reports regularly for abnormal activities