Contributor: Vivek Krishnamurthi
The International Dance Competition “Dance Grand Prix Europe” is set to begin June 12 and will be hosted in Spain. The purpose of the competition is to showcase all the top dancers from various dance schools and this major event attracts choreographic talent from around the world. Spammers also don’t want to miss this event and the opportunity to circulate a scam.
Figure 1. Dance Grand Prix Europe 2013 spam
To grab the reader’s attention, the spam email reveals some appealing facts about the event along with "only a little fee" required but no additional charges for participation in the event. Clicking the URL will automatically redirect the user to a website containing a bogus offer.
Figure 2. Pirated website looks like original, changed contact information (green box)
Figure 3. Original and legitimate event website
Interestingly, to trick users into trusting the fake website, spammers also added a widget at the bottom left of the page that monitors online visitors and displays a random number of users online. The main motive of these spam campaigns is to lure recipients and acquire their personal and financial information. Users should be careful and avoid clicking the links.
Some of the subject lines observed in this spam campaign include the following:
- Subject: DanceGrandPrixEurope from the 12th to 16th June 2013. Competition for Dance Schools/Groups from all over.
- Subject: Grand Prix Spain. Competition for Dance Schools&Groups from the 12th to 16th June 2013.
- Subject: Greetings from all of us at Dance grand Prix Europe Season 2013! As Holiday Season approaches. GIFT YOURSELF & Your School/Groups a "DanceYear" 2013 to remember! Book our European Dance Competitions now!
Symantec advises users to be cautious when handling unsolicited or unexpected emails related to the Dance Grand Prix Europe 2013 and to update antispam signatures regularly. Symantec also monitors spam attacks around-the-clock to ensure users are kept up to date on the latest threats.