We can say that cybercriminals focus on what is most likely to succeed. They tend to attack popular platforms, use applications that potential victims use, or take advantage of specific moments to try to scam. And that is what is happening with the World Cup and it will happen in the coming weeks. Therefore, in this article we want to show you what are the main scams that you can suffer, especially if you are going to watch games online.
Scams if you go to see World Cup matches
Today it is common to watch series, movies or even sporting events over the Internet. The platforms allow us to view content from anywhere, simply by having a connection. This also happens during the World Cup and therefore hackers can take advantage of it.
Fake links to watch games
One risk that you will have if you decide to watch World Cup matches on the Internet is that you may come across false links. This can happen especially if you intend to see the meetings through pages that are pirted, although it could also happen if you supposedly see them from official platforms.
What do hackers do in this case? They basically create pages or links that lead to fake sites. They take advantage of the fact that the victim wants to watch the game and take them to their malicious site without first suspecting that they are facing a trap.
Programs
Something similar can happen with mobile or computer applications . They can scam you, saying that you need to install a program to watch the World Cup matches online. But of course, you are really installing malicious software, which has been created only to scam, to steal personal data.
Cyber criminals could even control your computer. For example, placing a Trojan horse or a keylogger that also records all the passwords you enter. It is certainly a major problem and one you should avoid. Our advice is to only install programs from official sources and always use a good antivirus to detect malicious software.
Phishing
Phishing attacks are always present on the Internet. They are a classic scam used by cybercriminals and of course during the World Cup they will not be an exception. They basically consist of a strategy by which they can steal passwords, personal data, bank account information…
Attackers can “invite” you to log in through a link sent to you by email or social networks. They could impersonate a platform to watch matches online, a social network, email, etc. Everything you send will end up on a server controlled by hackers, who will obtain all that information. It is always convenient to analyze a link.
Alleged offers or gifts
With this you must be especially careful in these weeks, since they could send you supposed offers or gifts related to the World Cup. For example, a succulent discount to watch the games on the Internet, a specific offer if you do something or that happens to come to your name for some reason.
They could also offer you a gift related to the World Cup. For example merchandising products. But of course, all this is actually a scam. It is a way to get your attention to do something and fall into the trap.
In short, these are some of the main scams that you can find on the net if you are going to follow the World Cup online. You should always keep your devices in good condition, updated and with a good antivirus. In this way you will avoid problems and you will be able to preserve your personal data on the network.
