On February 8th the Winter Olympics will begin in South Korea and much of the world’s attention will be on this magnificent sporting event. Of course anything that interests the public also interests scammers seeking to capitalize on that interest. As the Games get underway many people will be receiving emails and text messages purporting to contain updates, photos and videos of Olympic events.  Unfortunately, if you click on the links or download the attachments in these emails, you will end up downloading keystroke logging malware that will steal your personal information from your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone and use that information to make you a victim of identity theft.   You also run the risk this year of downloading ransomware that will encrypt all of the data on your computer and threaten to destroy it if you do not pay a ransom.
Also, If you are shopping for Olympic merchandise, you should be wary of the large amount of counterfeit and poor value, fake Olympic merchandise that is being sold on the Internet.
TIPS
As I have warned you many times, never click on a link or download an attachment unless you are absolutely sure that it is legitimate.  In regard to Olympic email or text message updates you are better off not downloading or clicking on links in any emails or text messages you may receive even if they appear to be from a legitimate source because the URL may appear to be legitimate, but may merely be “spoofed” or copied from a legitimate site so it appears legitimate, but in truth is not.  You are better off going directly on your own to sources such as http://www.espn.com that you know are legitimate.  Also, make sure that your anti-malware and anti-virus software is installed and up to date on all of your electronic devices.  Also, be wary of links sent to you through social media such as Facebook even if they look legitimate because it is easy to hack someone’s social media accounts to send out malware that unwary victims click on.
For information about the games and schedules of all events, you can go to the official Olympic website https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/index  If you want Team USA merchandise, go the official Team USA website of http://www.teamusashop.com/.   Both of these websites are safe and secure places to purchase official Olympic merchandise and apparel.