As many have noticed today the Internet is buzzing about sites blacking out in protest of the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA). Wikipedia, Reddit, TheOatmeal.com and many other sites have gone black for the day in protest while sites like Google, TwitPic, WordPress, and Cheezburger Network (along with thousands of others) are speaking out and attempting to educate users about the acts that could forever alter the Internet as we know it.
Internet users should be wary because, like anything that makes big news and captivates interest, scammers will most likely prey on sites’ blackouts with fake websites devoted to “fixing the blackouts” (or something of the sort).
Just watching Twitter today I’ve seen tweets roll in from thousands of younger users complaining about Wikipedia being down. One read something to the extent of “What the hell, Wikipedia! I still have homework to do!”
I can easily foresee scammers jumping on the less educated about the blackouts, directing them to fake websites where they may ask for information or offer a download to get access to the blacked out information.
We live in a digital society of impatient and gullible users. Ok, maybe that’s our society in general. But remember: just because a site may look official doesn’t mean it is. Keep your eyes out for scams and be sure to let us know if you come across any!
If you have been scammed and would like to file a scam report, please click here.