Dark forces pounce as Harry Potter web site is targeted

DARK FORCES could be at work after it emerged that cyber con artists are cashing in on Harry Potter fans' interest in the fictional young wizard's web site.

Pottermore, the web site through which Harry Potter author JK Rowling hopes to make more money by releasing yet more Harry Potter stories, is being targeted by scammers selling fake accounts.

According to the BBC, scammers are claiming that fans can get early access by signing up to these fake accounts. They are also using search engine poisoning to direct Harry Potter fans to malicious web sites that are seeded with viruses and other malware.

Although eager Harry Potter fans will be able to sign up in October, beta access is being granted to people if they are among the fastest to complete a magical quill challenge on the Pottermore web site.

Scammers who are posing in the same way are getting hold of fans' personal details as a result. Meanwhile, some scammers are apparently selling Pottermore accounts for about £60 ($100) via Ebay.

Pottermore administrators said in a blog post that buying and selling accounts was "expressly prohibited" in the web site's terms and conditions.

Scammers are also starting to poison search engine results associated with Pottermore to direct people to spurious web sites loaded with malicious programs.

Some have speculated that the scammers might be under the control of Harry Potter's fictional nemesis, Lord Voldemort.

The INQUIRER has asked @Lord_Voldemort7 for a response via Twitter, but as yet we have received no reply. µ