As anticipation builds for the upcoming Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games, security researchers and officials have observed an uptick in scams abusing legitimate Olympics branding. French Gendarmerie officials discovered over 300 bogus ticketing sites aiming to steal money and personal information by deceiving individuals who are in a hurry to book tickets for the events. Recent research investigates a prominent example (paris24tickets[.]com) from these websites. The site appears among the top paid results in Google searches and promotes itself as a secondary marketplace for sports and live events tickets.

Website Incorporates Official Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games Branding

The 'paris24tickets[.]com' website appeared professional and legitimate at first glance. The site advertised itself as a “secondary marketplace for sports and live events tickets,” and was displayed as the second result among sponsored Google search results for 'paris 2024 tickets.' It allowed visitors to navigate through upcoming Olympic events, select event specific tickets, and enter payment information. Its polished design resembled that of trusted ticketing platforms, along with the official Olympics ticket purchase site. Proofpoint researchers warned that the website was entirely fraudulent despite its authentic look and feel. The site was likely collecting users’ financial and personal information rather than actually processing ticket orders. The researchers acted swiftly to suspend the misleading domain upon its discovery. [caption id="attachment_77366" align="alignnone" width="2800"] Impersonating domain 'paris24tickets[.]com' (Source: archive.org)[/caption] [caption id="attachment_77365" align="alignnone" width="2800"] Official Olympics Ticketing Site (Source: https://tickets.paris2024.org)[/caption] The researchers noticed that in some cases, the scammers even sent emails promising "discounts" on coveted tickets to victims. This tactic was likely done to lure unsuspecting individuals, who may have been desperate to secure tickets at lower costs. Victims who have provided their personal or financial information on the fraudulent website risk having their identities and money stolen. The scammers behind these websites may also collect important personal data, such as names, contact information, and credit card details, for sale or further malicious campaigns.

French Gendarmerie Nationale Reported the Discovery of 338 Scam Sites

The 'paris24tickets[.]com' website represents just a tiny fraction of a much broader network of fraudulent Olympics domains. The French Gendarmerie Nationale had identified approximately 338 such websites since March 2023, and made subsequent efforts to shut them down; 51 of these sites were stated to have been closed while 140 of them were put on notice. The fraudsters behind these scams likely rely on sponsored search engine ads and targeted emails to drive traffic to impersonating websites. Offers of special deals and discounts are further lures to draw-in potential victims. [caption id="attachment_77367" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Source: Shutterstock[/caption] 200 French gendarmes had been mobilized as a distinct unit to monitor the internet and various different social networks for Olympics ticketing-related fraud and mass resales, under the direction of the Europol. These units work along with the DGCCRF (Directorate General for Consumer Affairs, Competition and Fraud Prevention) in France. Captain Etienne Lestrelin, director of operations at the unit, told France Info radio that social media such as Facebook, Leboncoin, Telegram and Instagram were often “the primary source of resale attempts.” He added, “This is an exchange from individual to individual. Except that the buyer does not know if the person really owns the tickets, since they are virtual tickets, not tickets paper. So people are selling you wind, we don't know what they're selling." Lestrelin advised that tickets sold at too low of a price can alert potential buyers: "You will never have a ticket below its original cost. The goal of people who were able to buy tickets in volume and with the intention of reselling them, it is to make a profit So it is an alert if you find a much cheaper ticket. The sentence to remember is that there is no. very good deals on the internet, it's not possible." He instructed that it was also not possible to own a ticket before the event begins and QR Codes are generated. Anyone who claims to be currently in possession of a ticket, or owns tickets that seem visually legitimate, is still a fraud. He warned buyers to be vigilant about buying such tickets outside of official sources because it can also be an offense. "You are associating yourself with the offense that the seller commits when he resells without going through the official website. This is a criminal offense," he stated. To validate purchases, buyers can cross-check provided references with the official Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games application. Buyers who suspect that they may have been duped can report to a police station, a gendarmerie or the DGCCRF. Legitimate ticket purchases can be made through the official ticketing website or official sub-distributor network.

Google and Microsoft warn of elevated risks of cyber threats facing the 2024 Paris Olympics, especially from Russian threat actors.

The post Google, Microsoft: Russian Threat Actors Pose High Risk to 2024 Paris Olympics appeared first on SecurityWeek.

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Russian threat groups are using old tactics and generative AI to run malicious disinformation campaigns meant to discredit the Paris Olympic Games, France and its president, and the IOC -- less than two months before the Games begin.

The post Russian Threat Groups Turn Eyes to the Paris Olympic Games appeared first on Security Boulevard.

Researchers from Microsoft have observed a year-long coordinated campaign by Russian threat actors to influence the public's view of the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics. The chief effort of these influence operations has involved an AI-generated Tom Cruise movie titled "Olympics Has Fallen," parodying the title of the Hollywood movie "Olympus Has Fallen." In the Russian AI movie, a voice and image impersonation of Tom Cruise appears to discredit the leadership behind the International Olympics Committee. Along with the movie, the influence operations have also disparaged the French nation, French President Emmanuel Macron, and the hosting of the upcoming games in Paris.

Use of AI in Influence Campaigns

These operations were linked to Russian-affiliated threat actors Storm-1679 and Storm-1099. In an effort to sow disinformation and denigrate the International Olympic Committee (IOC), these groups distributed fake videos and spoofed news reports employing the use of AI-generated content, even stoking fears of violence in Paris. Storm-1679 was behind the distribution of the feature-length fake documentary "Olympics Has Fallen" last summer. This movie was produced through the use of an AI voice impersonating the famous American actor Tom Cruise and demonstrated slick, Hollywood-style production values. The movie also featured an official website, while purporting to be from Netflix. The researchers observed the use of evolved tactics throughout the campaign, blending traditional forgeries with cutting-edge AI capabilities. Distribution of the the film included additional AI-generated fake celebrity endorsements that were edited into legitimate videos from Cameo, a service where fans can pay celebrities to read personalized messages or for custom content. These deceptive ads made it appear that the celebrities promoted the anti-Olympic rhetoric in the film.

Stoking Fears of Violence at 2024 Paris Olympics

Along with the spread of anti-Olympics rhetoric from AI-generated deepfakes, the campaign also attempts to sow further discord and stoke public fear of violent occurrences or terrorist incidents during the games. The attempt at fearmongering may be an attempt to reduce the attendance and viewership of the upcoming games. These operations include:

• Spoofed videos under the cover of legitimate news outlets like Euro News and France24 that claim a high percentage of the event's tickets were returned over security concerns.
• Fabricated warnings from the CIA and French intelligence services about potential terror threats that are targeting the event.
• Fake graffiti images suggesting a repeat of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre that targeted Israeli athletes. Researchers observed a video featuring imagery from the incident, amplified further through the activities of pro-Russian bot accounts.

The researchers warn that these influence efforts could intensify further as the July 26 Opening Ceremony draws near. They predict that the campaign may shift to more automated tactics like bot networks to amplify messaging across different social media. The report stated that these threat actors were known to previously target the Ukrainian refugee community in the U.S. and Europe through similarly spoofed news content attempting to sow fears and spread disinformation.

Previous Russian Influence Attempts on the Olympic Games

While psychological tactics dominate the campaign, the researchers highlight that the new campaign signals the addition of advanced technology in the long history of Russian disinformation operations. The researchers cited examples such as Russia's predecessor, the Soviet Union, attempting to stoke fears before the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles by spreading pamphlets in Zimbabwe, Sri Lanka and South Korea that non-white competitors would be targeted for violence. In 2016, Russian threat actors hacked into the World Anti-Doping Agency and leaked sensitive medical information about American athletes Serena Williams, Venus Williams, and Simone Biles. In 2018, the "Olympic Destroyer" malware attack against the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea disrupted some events and took them offline. In 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice charged two Russian GRU officers with responsibility for the 2018 South Korean Olympics hack. These incidents, along with the recent sophisticated influence campaigns, demonstrate the Russian government's efforts to undercut and defame such international competitions in the eyes of potential attenders and global spectators, largely due to their own long history of tensions with organizations responsible for overseeing these events. Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.