We don't know who needs to hear this right now, but it's likely that someone can use a reminder about cyber scams and big events. In this case, there's a big sports-filled event happening over in Paris. You may have heard about the Olympic Games. That means while some are busy cheering on their teams to Olympic gold, cybercriminals are rooting for those same fans to let their guards down and perhaps award them a gold medal instead.

All kinds of scams are rampant now, from those involving so-called rare and hard to get merchandise scams to travel-related ones. And while you're out and about, or even at work (we won’t tell) looking to watch your favorite athletes compete in their events, be on the lookout for streaming scams too. 

Phony websites are offering various opportunities to view events on the internet. However, many are looking to steal payment card numbers, as well as PayPal, or other payment services logins too. And even more frustrating for sports fans-AI is making it riskier because it's just so realistic. And of course, there’s always a good chance those streaming sites are filled with malware.

It’s really better to avoid those altogether, because they just may be completely filled with malware. Also, watch for targeted phishing around these events, and any other big events, including natural disasters, acts of war, etc. This is especially important after the recent massive Ticketmaster and AT&T data breaches. A big chunk of the Ticketmaster data was released, and odds are strong that cyber criminals will use any data they get their hands on to phish those victims. They have a lot of valuable info to start with, including names and email addresses.

So here are medal winning tips for avoiding those and other scams:

• Watch the Olympics or other televised events on trusted streaming platforms. The NBC family has rights to show them in the U.S., so check Peacock and other official NBC channels. 

• If an offer sounds too good to be true, just assume it is.

• Keep an eye on your payment card charges and report suspicious activity to your card issuer. 

• If there’s urgency in any email, text, or voicemail, be suspicious. 

• Log in directly to any of your accounts that you are concerned about rather than clicking links you receive in text or email.

• Avoid clicking links or attachments from unknown senders or if they’re unexpected.

• Avoid using public WiFi, whether secured or not. This is especially true if you’re actually in France. Rogue cyber criminals are just waiting patiently in the corner of those cafes enjoying their cafe au lait and croissants cheering you on to connect your device to their fake WiFi.

• If you need to charge your device battery, don’t use the USB outlets. Take your plug adapter and use an outlet or use a power bank. 

Enjoy the games Go Team!