LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — You might be on the search for last-minute tickets or merchandise ahead of the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. If so, cybersecurity experts are warning about scammers who are trying to take advantage of all the hype surrounding race weekend in the entertainment capital of the world.
Cybersecurity firm BrandShield recently performed a scan of websites to identify scams looking to take advantage of F1 fans. Below is one example the firm identified of a website claiming to sell F1 tickets.
Yoav Keren, the founder of BrandShield, said one of the main things you should look out for is spelling or grammatical errors throughout a webpage or domain name. He said that's usually a sign that it's a scam. For example, in the scam website mentioned above, on the home page, it reads, "if we out of stock."
Also, it's blank under the "what clients say" section of that website. When there are no reviews or negative ones, that's a signal to steer clear, Keren advises.
Below is another example of a scam website identified by BrandShield. It is selling fraudulent F1 gear and other merchandise.
Keren said scams are becoming more difficult for people to spot, because they're starting to look more and more like the real thing, especially with the emergence of new technology.
"One of the things that we see, is scammers get more and more sophisticated and it's much harder for a normal user to see the difference. AI is also one of the tools that they're using to make their websites or social media accounts look very legitimate," Keren said.
Keren's other tips for avoiding falling victim to scams ahead of F1 include being wary about any suspicious direct messages or texts you receive promising deals. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
He also says if you click on an ad on social media or elsewhere online, ensure it takes you directly to whatever deal it is promising. If it takes you to some other websites or pop-ups, it's likely a scam.
