FIFA World Cup 2022: Cybercriminals use fake websites to steal personal information, says IT security firm

From fake entry permits and betting sites to fake cryptocurrencies, cybercriminals have unleashed all sorts of tricks to attract football fans in the name of the FIFA World Cup, the security intelligence company. IT CloudSEK warned Monday.

While India is not part of world football championshipThe Indian community is said to be the largest among the expat community in Qatar, which hosts the biggest soccer tournament.

The Bengaluru-based cybersecurity company said some Telegram channels have been spotted selling Hayya cards (FIFA entry permits) for between $50 (approximately Rs 4,300) to $150 (approximately Rs 12,300). .

“In order to create a Hayya card, the threats require a valid identity document of the buyer such as a passport. And payment is only accepted within Bitcoin,” CloudSEK said in a report.

Cybercriminals are also sharing hacking techniques that allow one to apply for a free Hayya card without a valid FIFA ticket number.

This technique is based on forcing ticket numbers based on the alleged ticket number pattern shared by the bully.

“As the FIFA World Cup is such a popular event, demand for tickets far outstrips supply. To exploit this gap between supply and demand, scammers have set up websites selling fake tickets,” CloudSEK said. .

Threats are trying to fool netizens by selling limited edition fake cryptocurrency as crypto platform Crypto.com is an official sponsor of FIFA and exchanges partnered with Cristiano Ronaldo for a football themed advertisement NFT.

The report said: “Threats are taking advantage of this hype to sell fake ‘World Cup Coins’ and ‘World Cup Tokens’ by promoting them as limited edition cryptocurrencies. However, most coins with this purpose do not exist.”

CloudSEK researchers in the report said FIFA Sponsors should strengthen their security mechanisms and stay up-to-date with threat actors’ tactics and techniques.