Beware! Scammers are now using Barbie craze to scam you of your money

Barbie mania has hit audiences worldwide and now scammers want to cash in on this fandom too. After merchandisers, retail shops and makeover artists, it's the scammers who are using this craze to stealbank information from moviegoers.

Phishing and other scams are rampant

On McAfee’s blog, Steve Grobman, chief technology officer of software security of the company said, “Cybercriminals are always on the lookout for opportunities to make phishing and other scams more attractive and believable. They often leverage popular and well-publicised events such as movie premieres, concerts, or sporting events to trick users into clicking on malicious links.”

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McAfee writes, “The videos will direct potential victims to a discord server or a website. There, attackers prompt visitors to download a large-size .exe file. As before, the file is loaded with malware, such as a variety known as ‘Redline Stealer’ that siphons personal info, login information, and more from devices.”

Reportedly, there have been more than 100 new instances of malware documented with “Barbie-related filenames” in the last three weeks. About 37 per cent of it is from the US.

Scammers use malware in the garb of film downloads

The easiest way for them to do so is through digital Trojan horses that include malware masquerading as film downloads, Barbie-related viruses and bogus videos that advertise free tickets but instead pull up links that hijack personal info with spyware.

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