Football fans are eagerly anticipating the 2026 World Cup. However, the sporting event is becoming a hotbed of fraudulent activity aimed at deceiving the public with dubious offers.

In several countries, warnings have been issued about the sale of counterfeit collectible albums and stickers, particularly in cases of street purchases, without any commercial backing. Despite the buyer’s responsibility, this is an act of bad faith towards fans who trust in acquiring genuine items at low prices.

On the other hand, there are accommodation offers at prices that suggest a scam. In these cases, the recommendation is to look for packages from verified tour operators and establish direct contact with the company to avoid falling victim to scams.

A greater risk of being deceived lies in online promotions and offers for items related to soccer teams, such as jerseys, caps, team bags, and sports brands.

Cybercriminals take advantage of this to lead internet users down false paths and install malicious software to steal personal information for criminal purposes.

Prevention and common sense

It is important to remain alert to any indication of dubious offers or promotions. Ideally, avoid accessing unknown websites, pop-up windows that appear automatically while browsing, and emails from unknown or unverified senders.

Likewise, be wary of incredible offers; that is, promotions that are, even, ridiculous.

Remember that no platform can request passwords or banking information. Sending authentication codes is essential during online searches to protect sensitive data.

M.Pino

With information from national and international media

(Main reference image source: My Profit Tutor on Unsplash)

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During the fourth quarter of 2023, Microsoft established itself as the most imitated brand in phishing scams, accounting for 33% of all phishing scams. The revelation, which positions the company significantly ahead of Amazon (with 9% of attempts), comes from a report by Check Point Research, the Threat Intelligence division of cybersecurity company Check Point.

Phishing, a social-engineered scam that involves spoofed emails from reputable companies to steal personal information, has mostly affected Microsoft. This type of scams has also implicated other big tech firms like Google (8%) and Apple (4 %) as well as companies outside this sector, including Wells Fargo and The Home Depot, both with 3 %.

Among the top ten brands affected, LinkedIn, Facebook and Netflix were also included, each with smaller percentages. The list was completed by DHL, whose presence at the top is attributed to the increase in courier activity during Black Friday.

Omer Dembinsky, data group manager at Check Point Software, highlighted the worrying trend towards an increase in phishing campaigns this year, further complicated by the advanced use of Artificial Intelligence, which makes them harder to identify.

An example of these tactics was provided by a fraudulent email that used the Microsoft name to create a sense of urgency, inducing victims to provide personal information on a fake page. Similar techniques were used in scams involving Apple, where emails were personalized

electronic tools to increase trust and urgency among victims, alerting them to storage problems in their accounts.

In short, the report by Check Point Research highlights the growing sophistication and scope of phishing scams, placing particular emphasis on Microsoft’s prominence as the main target of these attacks during the last quarter of 2023.

K. Tovar

Source: EuropaPress

(Reference image source: Turag Photography, Unsplash)

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