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Earlier this month the world heard the news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Many people want to honour her memory, and so numerous projects have been created, offering people opportunities to invest their money in tokens or buy memorabilia related to the monarch. Kaspersky researchers warn caution in an effort to pay tribute to the Queen and explain how to protect your data while buying on such websites.
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Kaspersky experts have discovered several investment projects offering crypto tokens and NFTs named after Queen Elizabeth II, “paying tribute to Her Majesty”. High-profile world events are usually used as a lure for many crypto investment ventures, and the passing of the Queen was no exception. Such sites are quite fresh and may not be secure, so any crypto wallet data that users enter might be at risk if the site’s database is leaked.
Users are offered the chance to invest in a new token or buy NFT, “paying tribute to Her Majesty”
In memory of the world’s longest-reigning Queen, users were also offered commemorative coins or T-shirts depicting Her Majesty. Most of the sites where such goods are offered are quite new – they are not secured in any way, and during payment, the user is not transferred to a special secure page. As a result, any card data, addresses or usernames may not be protected, which means that this information can be stolen by intruders if the site’s database is compromised.
Therefore, when buying any memorabilia online, choose only trusted stores to buy from. At the same time don’t forget to check the address of the site of the store – often fraudsters create phishing pages, similar to original famous brands. Also, be suspicious about super-lucrative offers and huge discounts, as very often cybercriminals use low prices in comparison with other stores as a bait to get users’ credentials and credit payment data.
Those wishing to profit from the Queen’s death have created numerous sites with merchandise featuring her image, most of which are not protected in any way
“The death of Queen Elizabeth II shocked the world, resonating in the hearts of millions of people. To pay tribute to Her Majesty, many users seek to buy a commemorative product or token with her image on it. However, the sites where such goods are offered are mostly hastily created by people who don’t even think about their security.
When buying from such sites, remember that many of them are not secure and the data entered on such pages are likely to be at risk of leakage, so remember to use a robust secure solution to protect yourselves. Also choose to buy only from trusted stores and be suspicious of super low prices on goods – it can be used by cybercriminals as a lure to get your payment details,” comments Olga Svistunova, security expert at Kaspersky.
To make sure you are safe when making purchases online, Kaspersky recommends the following:
- In order to protect your data and finances, it is a safe practice to make sure the online checkout and payment page is secure. You’ll know it is if the web page’s URL begins with HTTPS instead of the usual HTTP; an icon of a lock will also typically appear beside the URL, and the address bar in some browsers will be green. If you don’t see this, do not proceed.
- You can use a trusted security solution that can help you and check the security of the URL that you’re visiting and also has the ability to open any site in a protected container to prevent theft of sensitive data (like financial one).
- Make sure all of your software is up to date – update your operating system and various software applications (attackers exploit loopholes in widely used programs to gain entry).
