26 September,2011 12:11 PM IST | | Shashank Shekhar
Cyber criminals, taking advantage of people's enthusiasm for the mega event, are trying to lure them with offers of cheap or free tickets to the Indian Grand Prix
With only one month left for the Formula 1 games to be held in Greater Noida, and youngsters looking for options to grab tickets for the mega event, cyber criminals have started to play foul in order to lure young enthusiasts. Lakshmi Nagar resident Hemant Mehta Agarwal could not believe his luck when he received an SMS which said that Formula 1 organisers had selected his number and that he was eligible to get free tickets to the mega games carnival to be held in Greater Noida. But when he called back on the number to claim his reward, Hemant sensed some foul play and discovered that it was a fraud.
Representative pic
Beware
Only a month before the commencement of the Formula 1 race, cyber criminals have sensed an opportunity to target unsuspecting enthusiasts. Various SMSes are doing the rounds luring the public in the name of the mega event. One such message reads, "You have won a free Forumla-1 ticket in the India Grand prix mobile draw promo. To claim your prize, send your name and address via mail to formula1racing@live.co.uk."
According to cyber crime experts, all the SMSes and mails circulating in the name of Formula-1 racing, some of them also carrying the Formula-1 logo, are fake and sent out to target innocent users."During big events like this, such spam messages are circulated, taking advantage of people's curiosity. There are various promotions going on related to Formula-1. We suggest enthusiast buy tickets from authentic sources. Attacking users via mobile is something new here and it is yet to attract many more potential targets," said Vivek Vohra, a Delhi-based cyber crime expert.
Many people fell victim to alluring mails and SMSs during FIFA 2010 and CWG, and the same has happened in this case. With only expensive tickets left fort he games and most of the tickets already sold, most of the enthusiasts are ready to buy tickets from the black market.
Pass on
Some of the radio stations and companies are also giving out Formula-1 passes. Sponsors and advertisers of the sport have started their marketing activities, and so have the hackers. Organisers of the Formula-1 race have clearly mentioned everywhere and are advising fans to purchase tickets from their authorised ticketing partner ufffdBuddh International Circuit. According to the online ticket booking partner ufffdbookmyshow.com ufffdthe cheapest tickets worth Rs 2,500 are sold out while others are filling fast.
Fact file
Prices of tickets:
>>u00a0Grand Stand: Rs 35,000
>>u00a0Premium: Rs 12,500
>>u00a0Star: Rs 8,500
>>u00a0Classic: Rs 6,500
>>u00a0Picnic: Rs 6,000
>>u00a0Natural: Rs 2,500
At the venue
The Rs 2,500 tickets are for the natural stand, which can accommodate 6,500 fans. Then comes the picnic stand for which 8,000 fans will have to spend Rs 6,000 each. For the 36,838 seater classic stand, the tickets are priced at Rs 6,500. The two most expensive tickets for the race are for the premium stand and the main grand stand. While the price for a premium stand ticket is Rs 12,500 for the 10,230 seats there, it's a whopping Rs 35,000 for the 20,156 grand stand seats. According to a presentation by the organisers, the Buddh International Circuit has been divided into five zones - North, South, East, West and Paddock, with each one having its own parking facility apart from having a common F1 Village, 10 ATMs and 30 shuttle buses to ferry spectators. The organisers also said that they have tied up with several radio taxi companies and have arranged for chartered buses for the convenience of the fans. There is provision for parking for as many as 17,000 cars.
