Fans attending the recent Olympic Games in Paris were targeted by cybercriminals seeking to cash in on the scarcity of tickets and enthusiastic fans through a variety of scams, experts have revealed.
An increase in malicious online activity before and during matches illustrates the threats consumers face when attending matches, with major sporting and ticketed events often attracting criminals looking to prey on fans looking for cheaper tickets and merchandise.
Researchers at ForAI studied the Newly Registered Domains (NRDs) in the two weeks leading up to the Olympics and found 166 unique domains that showed signs of Domain Name System (DNS) abuse. The scammers attempt to collect personal information such as names, emails, addresses and card details from unsuspecting spectators.
Pay attention to the signals
The domains that the research found used specific buzzwords to drive traffic, such as “paris2024,” “olympics2024,” and often included keyword misspellings, such as “olymplics” and “olymppics,” to catch users who misspelled keywords. The domains also often used suspicious and unconventional top-level domains such as .xyz, .win, .stream, .mobi, .shop, .store, and .info.
Fake ticket sites, social media accounts, and merchandise stores have all been set up to trick fans into handing over their financial details. The threat from these sites is not just the direct financial loss, but also the risk of ticket details ending up on the dark web and being sold to other cybercriminals. This could lead to identity theft or further financial loss.
Researchers advise to rely only on official Olympic social media channels and websites. They also advise to remain alert for unofficial content and not to click on suspicious links, especially if they offer lower prices for tickets or merchandise.
BforeAI published a list of suspicious domains that should be avoided to protect consumers.