August 1, 2023: Barbie-related malware attacks are on the rise, and McAfee, a company that works in the internet malware prevention industry, advises users to be cautious. Keep reading to know more!
According to a study by the internet security firm McAfee, India is one of the top three nations in the world that have experienced significant malware campaigns masquerading as sales of Barbie items. The Hollywood movie has generated a lot of buzz, and it also had a strong weekend debut.
"A rash of scams have emerged online," said Steve Grobman, CTO of McAfee, "including fake downloads of the movie that install malware, viruses related to Barbie, and fake videos that direct people to free tickets—but instead lead to links that steal personal information with spyware."
Cybercriminals are constantly looking for ways to make phishing and other schemes more alluring and credible, he continued. They frequently use well-attended and well-known events like concerts, athletic events, or movie premieres to lure consumers into clicking on harmful links.
According to a report on the business' website, 100 new instances of malware with filenames referencing Barbie have been seen in the last three weeks. Once more, this demonstrates how attackers have seized upon the excitement around the film, anticipating that people will click the malicious files since the name Barbie is popular.
Although the file formats varied, they contained common ones like.html and.exe. Attackers mostly targeted the US, although other nations have also come under attack.
McAfee advised caution as people searched for products associated with Barbie online, making them more susceptible to falling for a hoax. The business provided instances of the scams as well. These contain haphazard download links for the film in languages like Tamil and Hindi.
"McAfee has seen several examples of malicious campaigns that try to trick victims into downloading the "Barbie" movie in various languages in India," the report's conclusion read. The URL directs users to download a.zip file that is loaded with malware by clicking it.