Super Bowl XLVII – The Dangers of Betting Online and On Your Smartphone

With Super Bowl Sunday quickly approaching, tension is running high between San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens fans. Some people simply enjoy the thrill and excitement of watching the game with friends and family while rooting for their favorite team. Others raise the stakes (pun intended) higher and place monetary bets on the team they believe will take home the win.

Betting on the Super Bowl is a long standing tradition and in a recent article, Super Bowl XLVII is projected to bring in more than $90 million in bets, which is a growth of over $20 million in just 10 years!
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More than 111.3 million people tuned in last year to see the New York Giants defeat the New England Patriots with a score of 21 to 17. With the number of people watching the Super Bowl growing every year, so too will the number of bets placed. Technology is also playing a part in the increased amount of Super Bowl betting, specifically, with mobile devices including smartphones and tablets.

Sports betting apps allow smartphone and tablet users to place bets from their devices wherever they may be; People no longer have to place bets through a bookie or casinos. Users of these mobile apps need to be aware that the apps don’t just make online betting easier – the apps also make it easier for private information to be put at risk.

Signing up for websites and mobile apps that allow online betting requires providing sensitive private information. The registration process for these apps includes the typical information like your full name, address, email, and phone number. However, with that is the requirement to input credit card details, often kept in a database for future use in recurring payments, as well as an acceptance of the app privacy, which may include the distribution of your information to third-party buyers.

If you choose to place a bet on the game this weekend, be cautious and be aware. Below are 3 ways to better protect your personal information from cybercriminals.

  • Do your research: Make sure that all sites and apps are reputable or have been reviewed. Do not just type in “Super Bowl betting” in Google and choose the first option that come up.
  • Read all privacy policies: Before clicking accept, take the time to read the privacy policy to understand where your personal information is going. If you do not understand the terms of agreement do not put in your personal information. More often than not, sites and apps will make their privacy policies hard to understand and worded unclearly.
  • Don’t bet at all: The safest way to protect your personal information is to not engage in betting at all. Enjoy the atmosphere of your living room with friends and family and have fun watching the ads!

Have you ever been scammed online as a result of betting? You can further protect your personal information, McAfee® Mobile Security provides comprehensive protection against mobile device loss, viruses and web threats so that Android, BlackBerry and Symbian users can keep their personal life personal, outsmart identity thieves and connect with confidence.

We want to know – who are you rooting for in the upcoming Har-bowl? Jim or John? Comment below or tweet to us at @McAfee.

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Story added 1. February 2013, content source with full text you can find at link above.