Barbie scam: Here’s what movie fans need to know about the online scams

Nearly a week following its release, the Barbie fever is showing no signs of slowing down. But, taking advantage of all this hype are perpetrators, which is evident from the rise in Barbie-related scams online. As per American cybersecurity company McAfee, these scams target users in a number of ways.

Barbie scams on the rise

The first scam involves malicious websites that prompt users to download Barbie dubbed in a number of languages. When one clicks on the download button, the system downloads a .zip file packed with malware. This malware not only steals the files stored on one’s systems, but also has been found to spread online.

A second example of such scam is videos that offer free tickets to Barbie, with links to a discord server in the description. However, upon visiting the link, the system downloads a payload referred to as the “Redline Stealer”. It basically steals sensitive information such as login credentials stored on one’s system, resulting in potential identity theft and fraud.

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This is, however, not the first time that a popular event such as the release of Barbie has been leveraged by scammers online. Back in November 2021, a cryptocurrency inspired by the popular Netflix series Squid Game came to light.

The value of a digital token by the name of Squid Coin, which was marketed as a play-to-earn cryptocurrency, shot up to $2,861 per coin at a point. The coin registered a percentage rise in the thousands, before its value fell to $0 overnight. This happened because the creators of the currency cashed out all their holdings of the coin, for actual money overnight. This kind of a scam is also referred to as a “rug pull”.

How do I protect myself from such scams?

To protect oneself against such scams now and in the future, there are several steps one can take.

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1. Look out for websites that are poorly designed or have typos. These are the most common telltale signs of a malicious website.

2. Avoid pirated content in any form, as it may carry malware with it.

3. Shop from, and stream, on reputed and verified e-commerce portals, streaming platforms, and other websites.

4. While purchasing anything online, whether a smartphone, clothes, or maybe even just groceries, always check if there for verified reviews from other people, if available, and if the site offers a cash-on-delivery option.

6. Avoid using username and password combos which are easy to guess, such as your name, date of birth, or any other demographic information about you that may be publicly available.

7. Lastly, always keep your device’s software up to date, whether a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, or any gadget.

Image Source: McAfee