Fortinet, a network security provider, has advised Internet users to be on the alert for cyber scams as the Olympic Games open.

The security company said in a statement that a flood of malware attacks might get unleashed in the second half of 2012 as major sports and political events like the Olympic Games, the UEFA European Football Championship and the US presidential elections start rolling.

"Internet users must be on high alert against losing money and personal information during times like these," said Karine de Ponteves, anti-virus analyst at Fortinet.

For example, a cyber scam often seen during major sporting events is "purchase fraud", which promises tickets at discounted prices. Users may chance upon tickets at temptingly low prices when they visit classified ads websites like eBay and Craigslist. They should be highly suspicious as such deals during game seasons are often pure frauds, according to Fortinet.

Another type of scam is the 'rogue anti-virus software'. "During major sports or political events, many users browse the Internet to learn about scores, results and other hot news," said Fortinet in its statement. "From a simple search on their favourite search engine, it's possible for users to get to a malicious website (or a legitimate website that has been hacked) with a pop-up window on their screen indicating that their computer is infected (even if they already have an anti-virus program) and offering to clean it. This false message typically prompts users to click on the pop-up, enabling the installation of a bogus anti-virus software without their knowledge and, next, the installation of Trojans to collect users' key data such as passwords and banking numbers."