In 2009, I alerted our readers about malicious campaigns exploiting the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Important sport events continue to attract spammers and scammers, so you can guess which big event is now on their radar. The Olympic Games in London have inspired emails such as this:
These mails inform the recipients that they have won a substantial amount of money. After contacting the lottery manager, the victims of these rip-offs will be asked to pay “processing fees” or “transfer charges” so that the winnings can be distributed. Do you imagine these lottery payments will ever be received? In some cases, the organizers ask for a copy of the winner’s passport, national ID, or driver’s license. With that personal information compromised, future identity theft activities are guaranteed.
Here is a sample of bogus messages:
With the opening ceremonies of the London Games in two weeks, these rip-offs are on the increase.