Published: December 05, 2022 on our newsletter Security Fraud News & Alerts Newsletter.
Every four years, countless soccer fans flock together to take part in or melt into the sofa for the FIFA World Cup worldwide frenzy. With fans rooting for their favorite team to win, cybercrooks are in overdrive looking for their own opportunities to win also. These online scammers are pulling out every tool they have to exploit this tournament and the fans who support it. The World Cup isn’t the only event attracting cybercrime since we know scammers believe every day is a day for them to score big.
Cyware Social reports World Cup fans are experiencing a long list of cybercrime scams including phishing attacks, crypto fraud, and identity theft. These scams aren’t new, but those soccer fans who’ve experienced them will tell you to avoid them at all costs.
Phishing Scams
Those fans looking for tickets and tournament merchandise are falling victim to bogus lottery scams and phishing websites set up to steal PII (personally identifiable information) and more from victims. The fake websites promise they have what fans are looking for, then direct them to a payment page also controlled by scammers. Not only do victims never receive what they paid for, but the price tag could be much bigger than they thought. Some bogus payment pages can steal banking details, too.
Cryptocurrency Scams
Two official FIFA sponsors, Crypto.com and Binance cryptocurrency exchange are promoting soccer related NFTs with the help of Portugal’s star soccer player, Christian Ronaldo. Seeing the enormous opportunity for crypto fraud, scammers are hawking bogus FIFA-themed tokens and crypto coins as limited-edition cryptocurrency.
Stolen Credit Cards
CloudSEK finds cybercriminals, some of them organized criminal gangs, are selling heisted credit card details for unauthorized, identity theft transactions. It’s believed these gangs are exploiting bogus FIFA-themed websites to steal credit card details from trusting users. The hackers may be using the cards to purchase flight tickets and hotel rooms.
As always, keep the phishing senses on high alert for these and others. Make sure the websites you visit are official before putting in payment information or other details. Double and triple check those URLs. Use extra care when clicking on advertisements that may appear on social media feeds. Many of them are truly offsides and may take you to malicious sites. If you do make a purchase and even if you get your merchandise, it’s still a great play to check your payment card statements often to ensure that number didn’t get stolen. If you do see any fouls with that, contact the financial institution immediately for assistance.
For future reference, expect any significant event, sporting or otherwise (think Coronavirus), will have a legion of cybercriminals finding ways to take advantage of trusting users for their own enrichment. Knowing what these threats are can help us avoid scams today and long after the World Cup has ended.
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