Online Gambling Ads Popping Up on Purported MH17 Crash Victim Facebook Pages

Scammers wasted no time in their attempt to cash in on the unfortunate victims of Malaysia Flight MH17, which crashed Thursday over the Ukraine after reportedly being shot down by a missile.  All 298 passengers, most of them Dutch, were killed in the crash.

From the London Telegraph:

Online fraudsters are attempting to cash-in on the Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 disaster by creating "distasteful" fake Facebook pages in the names of child victims.

Users visiting what purport to be the Facebook pages of victims, either out of curiosity or to pay their respects, are shown a single link to a site which offers further information on the crash. But clicking on the link bombards the viewer with a series of pop-up advertisements for various products and gambling websites.

Reports in the Australian media claim that at least six pages have been set up in the name of victims, including Perth children Otis, Evie and Mo Maslin who died when travelling with their grandfather. The Daily Mail reports that similar pages have also been set up in the name of victims from the US and the UK.

The online casino links were likely created by unscrupulous affiliates, who receive a cut of losses via customized tracking links. 

- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com