by SAVIOUS KWINIKA
Editor-In-Chief
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – IN addition to exciting hundreds of millions of fans globally, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) World Cup Qatar 2022 has also attracted the interest of cyber-criminals looking to make a fast buck.
It is the most awaited sports event of the year, starting on Sunday.
Kaspersky researchers have found fake pages offering everything from tickets or event merchandise, to match streaming services, plus numerous giveaways and non-fungible token (NFT) scams exploiting the World Cup.
As with all major global sports events, fake tickets are the spread bait most used to lure victims and this tournament is no exception.
Additionally, Qatar 2022 is only offering digital tickets, increasing the risk of running into malicious resources.
Kaspersky experts discovered numerous phishing pages offering to buy tickets for FIFA matches. Needless to say, users will lose personal data, banking details and money.
Pandemic imposed limitations will also see the 2022 World Cup stage many offline events with live viewers, involving thousands of tourists in Qatar – something scammers have not missed.
Another scheme is crypto investment fraud.
“Major sports events always attract the attention of cyber-criminals,” said Olga Svistunova, a security expert at Kaspersky.
“With this World Cup, scammers got very creative, as we have observed a variety of fraudulent schemes employed,” the expert added.
The cyber security company advised the public to be attentive.
This is the first World Cup on Arab soil in the tournament’s 92-year history.
– CAJ News