March Madness is here, and while fans are busy filling out brackets and making last-minute bets, cybercriminals are running their own full-court press—targeting unsuspecting fans with phishing scams, fake betting apps, and credential-harvesting schemes. This annual college basketball bonanza presents a prime opportunity for scammers to capitalize on excitement, urgency, and, of course, the lure of easy money.
Phishing plays straight out of the cybercrime playbook
"March Madness brings heightened cybersecurity risks this year, especially with the expansion of sports gambling beyond traditional office pools creating new attack vectors for credential harvesting and financial fraud," warns J. Stephen Kowski, Field CTO at SlashNext Email Security+.
Attackers are mimicking tournament brackets, betting promotions, and registration forms—tricking users into handing over credentials or linking bank accounts to fraudulent sites. This intersection of sports, money, and digital activity makes for a perfect storm of social engineering attacks. A simple click on what seems like an innocent bracket challenge or promo offer can lead to compromised financial accounts before tipoff.
Mobile madness: the sneaky side of cyber scams
With fans constantly checking scores, streaming games, and logging into betting apps, mobile devices are a major attack surface. Krishna Vishnubhotla, Vice President of Threat Intelligence at Zimperium, highlights that cybercriminals know employees will be engaging on mobile devices during work hours.
"Fake betting apps, fraudulent login pages, and malicious streaming links can easily bypass traditional security layers. Enterprises must take a mobile-first approach to security, ensuring threats are detected in real-time before they impact users or corporate networks."
Beyond corporate risks, Vishnubhotla emphasizes how cybercriminals exploit mobile blind spots, urging organizations to implement mobile security that continuously monitors threats—on and offline.
The art of deception: why phishing works
It's not just betting and brackets; March Madness phishing scams tap into the very instincts that make people click without thinking. Chris Gray, Field CTO at Deepwatch, points out that attackers use psychological triggers like urgency, greed, and fear to craft irresistible phishing lures.
"This scenario follows the common phishing tactics: strike at personal interest. End-users know not to trust random emails. We know that no Nigerian prince is actually going to give us millions. But a March Madness pool invite? A betting promo from a known sportsbook? That's where familiarity breeds complacency."
Gray urges organizations to double down on phishing awareness training, system policies, and proactive monitoring to mitigate damage before it happens.
[RELATED: 5 Emotions Used in Social Engineering Attacks, with Examples]
The game plan: stay secure while enjoying March Madness
So, how can fans and businesses enjoy the all the action without falling victim to cyber schemes? Trey Ford, Chief Information Security Officer at Bugcrowd, keeps it simple, saying:
"The same advice rings true for March Madness as it does any other time of the year. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is… except on the internet, where it always is."
Ford stresses the importance of only purchasing tickets, merchandise, or betting services from reputable sources, and avoiding shady websites that request credit card or personal information.
"Please never, EVER install applications after clicking an advertising link, especially when it came from trying to buy tickets or sports merchandise," Ford said. "Most of this fraud should clearly take place outside of the workplace; ultimately, we should all avoid conducting personal business on our work accounts."
Betting on security: the rise of sportsbook scams
With platforms like DraftKings and FanDuel offering bonus bets and promotions, it's no surprise that cybercriminals are imitating these offers to deceive users. Kaushik Devireddy, Senior Product Manager at Deepwatch, points out that threat actors are leveraging fake bonus bet promotions to steal access to betting accounts and linked bank accounts.
"As March Madness ramps up, we can expect that threat actors will craft phishing emails and notifications impersonating betting platforms with the imagery/likeness of March Madness players," Devireddy said. "Their goal with these attacks will be to gain access to betting accounts which contain deposited funds, as well as bank account linkages."
While many sportsbooks have strong verification procedures for withdrawals, hackers can still cause significant financial damage by draining deposited funds through fraudulent bets.
The final buzzer: cybersecurity wins championships
The best defense against March Madness cyber threats? Awareness and vigilance. Whether you're betting on your favorite team or just joining an office pool, keep these cybersecurity fundamentals in mind.
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Think before you click: Verify tournament-related emails, links, and promotions before engaging.
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Use multi-factor authentication (MFA): Enable MFA, especially for betting or banking accounts.
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Stick to official platforms: Whether it's streaming, betting, or purchasing tickets, always go through trusted sources.
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Be wary of "bonus bets" and promotions: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
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Keep work and play separate: Avoid using work devices for personal betting or bracket tracking.
March Madness may be unpredictable, but your cybersecurity game plan doesn't have to be. Stay sharp, play smart, and don't let cybercriminals dunk on your data this season.
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