Mumbai, April 8 : With millions of people interested in and following it, everyone wants to ride the Indian Premier League (IPL) bandwagon -- even online scammers and fraudsters. Welcome to the IPL fever-induced Scammer Season.

With the IPL fever triggering massive online activities with millions of fans taking to the internet for ticketing and information, experts from global cybersecurity and digital privacy company Kaspersky have identified three types of online scams and have warned Indian cricket fans against falling prey to scams piggybacking on the popular cricketing event, Kaspersky said in a release on Tuesday.

According to Kaspersky, fraudsters are exploiting the popularity of the 18th edition of the IPL, which started on March 23 and is currently being played at various venues nationwide, to deceive individuals through different scam tactics.

Kaspersky also released visual evidence of some of such scam pages to help gullible people save themselves from being cheated.

Experts from the global cybersecurity and digital company have spotted three IPL-related tactics that cybercriminals are using to lure fans of the premier league. The three scams are -- scam pages disguised as ticket listings, streaming websites redirecting to various scams, and promotional campaigns, claiming to offer free IPL tickets.

The first and foremost of these three fraudulent activities is one in which "scam pages are disguised as ticket listings".

"Kaspersky researchers have identified websites that pretend to sell tickets for IPL matches. Fraudsters create a website that mimics official ticketing platforms with logos, branding, and realistic-looking interfaces. Victims are usually asked to make payments via a bank card, with no option for refunds. And after payment, as typically done within such schemes, tickets are never delivered," the company claimed.

Another way cybercriminals are baiting IPL fans is through streaming websites.

"A page identified by Kaspersky claims to offer free live streaming of IPL matches but is actually designed to redirect users to various other scam or phishing pages that may steal personal information, infect devices with malware, or trick users into paying for non-existent goods or subscriptions," the release informed.

In another scheme discovered by cyber-security researchers, scam pages are presented as a promotional campaign, claiming to offer free IPL tickets.

"As part of the process, users are instructed to share their phone numbers. Additionally, potential victims are asked to send the link to groups and friends on WhatsApp ' allegedly to unlock the next step for ticket delivery. Scams like these often aim to collect phone numbers for resale on the dark web or to launch phishing attacks, and may also generate revenue by manipulating traffic and showing ads," the release said.

'An event like IPL 2025 draws huge crowds both online and offline; cricket fans across the country are on the lookout for the best deals in tickets and cricket merchandise. This often makes them prime targets for cybercriminals seeking to deceive and steal their data and money. Scammers exploit this consumer demand to devise various fraudulent schemes and lure consumers,' commented Purshottam Bhatia, Head of Consumer Business for India at Kaspersky.

'Now, with AI-driven phishing scams, avoiding the threats has become even more challenging for the users. In 2024, our solutions blocked 26 per cent more phishing attempts globally as compared to 2023. We find that fraud schemes aimed at stealing data and money will continue to grow in 2025 as well, which will require consumers to be more alert and proactively safeguard their systems," he added.

Kaspersky also issued some dos and don'ts to help Indian cricket fans stay safe and avoid IPL-related scams, asking them to safeguard themselves by installing a reliable cybersecurity solution.

Kaspersky experts also suggested measures that would help Indian cricket fans protect their data and money from scammers in this IPL season. These include buying tickets only from official platforms and avoiding third-party sellers offering "exclusive" or "discounted" tickets.

Fans are also advised to use only authorised IPL streaming services like JioCinema, Hotstar, or Star Sport and to avoid clicking on 'free live streaming' links from unknown sources.

Fans have been told to verify website URLs carefully ' fake sites often have misspellings (e.g., "hotstarr.com" instead of "hotstar.com"). Always check for HTTPS security.

They have also been warned against entering personal or financial details on unfamiliar websites. Legitimate platforms will never ask for bank details, OTPs, or passwords for ticket verification," the release said.

Fans are also advised to avoid downloading IPL-related apps from unofficial sources. Check the developer name and read user reviews before installing any app.

/IANS