Cyber criminals have generated a new cyber scam that exploits fake free tickets for Mirabilandia to trick WhatsApp users
Summer vacations are one of the most anticipated times by cyber criminals. Users are more vulnerable because they are about to unplug from work and look forward to having fun and relaxing. And it is by exploiting this somewhat easygoing atmosphere that hackers have generated a new online scam.
Italian users, not surprisingly, are currently threatened by a new cyber scam that is spreading via WhatsApp. Exploiting our desire for a vacation in fact hackers have generated fake free tickets for the entrance to the amusement park of Mirabilandia in Ravenna. Obviously this is just a ploy and there are no free tickets for Mirabilandia. The aim of cyber criminals is to invite users to click on the link in the WhatsApp message. If the victim falls into the trap he is redirected to a malicious site where any data entered is stolen by the hacker or where he could download a virus, very often an adware.
How the Mirabilandia WhatsApp scam works
As said the hackers in this new online scam contact the victims with a win message on WhatsApp. The text of the malicious message is this: "Mirabilandia offers 5 free tickets to 500 families to celebrate its 26th anniversary. Get your free tickets by clicking on the link." As we have also seen in other scams, especially of free airline tickets, hackers exploit a lot anniversaries and events related to big companies to generate a scam that can make Net users fall into their trap. From the Mirabilandia amusement park they have already informed the authorities that it is a fake news that is not part of their offers and promotions for summer 2018.
How to defend yourself from this kind of WhatsApp scams
Scams, related to the vacations but not only, are now very common on the WhatsApp messaging application. Defending yourself from this kind of cyber attacks, however, is fortunately not difficult. First of all, let's remember never to click on suspicious links or attachments arriving on our WhatsApp application. Especially when to send the message are contacts that we do not know or that pass themselves off as companies and institutions. Secondly, we are always wary of offers and discounts that are sent to us on WhatsApp but also on Facebook, via email and in general on the Internet. Often, in fact, it is a message of bogus promotions created by hackers and made to go viral by users. Then remember to look at the company's website. If, for example, on the Mirabilandia portal we don't find any information about 500 free tickets, most likely the message we received is a hoax. Finally, we never enter our data lightly on the Internet. Sometimes the possibility of winning a vacation or an airplane flight push us to lower our attention a bit. If we enter our data online, however, then these end up in the hands of cyber criminals who can use them for their scams or to perform illegal actions on the Web using our personal details.