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Top-Five Schemes Cybercriminals are Running Amid the Biggest Sport Event – Kaspersky

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The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is the most awaited sports event of 2022 for football fans and kicks off on November 20. As well as exciting hundreds of millions of fans worldwide, it’s also attracted the interest of cybercriminals looking to make a fast buck.

To get a better overview of how scammers are trying to monetise football fans’ interest, Kaspersky experts have analysed World Cup-related phishing websites from around the globe designed to steal users’ identifying and banking data. Kaspersky researchers have found fake pages offering everything from tickets or event merch, to match streaming services, plus numerous giveaways and NFT scams exploiting the World Cup.

Ticketing scams
As with all major global sports events, fake tickets are the spread bait most used to lure victims and this World Cup 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. Additionally, scammers may start also using the stolen data for other purposes or sell it on the Dark Web.

Gifts
No big public event is complete without fraudsters imitating extremely generous giveaways. Kaspersky experts also found phishing pages offering to win two tickets to the World Cup. This is quite popular where usually each user becomes a ‘lucky’ winner; with the chosen ones only needing to pay a delivery fee.

Merchandise
Another way to steal users’ data is via fake FIFA-related merchandise stores. While the offer of a T-shirt of your favourite team, phone cases with popular players, or signed soccer balls sounds good, after entering your data and transferring money to make a purchase, fans lose their cash to fraudsters instead.

Crypto and NFT frauds
A distinctive feature of the threat landscape ahead of the 2022 World Cup has been the active spread of various crypto scams, mostly exploiting the popularity of NFTs. Some offer to make a bet on a match and win cryptocurrency, others to win worldwide related NFT art. All the user needs to do is to enter crypto wallet credentials, so the ‘prize’ transfers directly. In such a scenario, scammers gain access to all savings and related wallet data.

Another scheme is crypto investment fraud which is a bright example of a dubious investment. Fraudsters actively create real coins and convince a user to invest in it while promising the victim potential currency growth. In real life, such initiatives are almost never a success as users have spent money on something that will never develop.

Flights and accommodations
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. Kaspersky experts have observed numerous phishing pages imitating airline services offering tickets to Doha. The analysed webpage shows all the classic signs of a scam – nice appearance, wrong spelling, freshly registered domain, and limited functionality of the site. Although the site mimics a global airfare aggregator, the user can only choose Qatar in the list of destination countries. Once flight details are entered, the victim is offered the chance to enter personal data along with ID and credit information.

‘Major sports events always attract the attention of cybercriminals. With this World Cup, scammers got very creative, as we have observed a variety of fraudulent schemes employed. We see how they are trying to benefit most from the situation and exploit as many trendy topics as possible, including a growing number of NFT scams related to the World Cup.

“At the same time, there are many so-called traditional scams out there from giveaways and fake tickets to merch stores. These schemes are simple, yet, effective and is why such fraudulent pages are eternal companions of big events.

“We encourage users to be attentive when they receive offers that seem too good to be true and carefully check the validity of the messages they receive,’ comments Olga Svistunova, a security expert at Kaspersky.

To avoid falling victim to a scam, Kaspersky advises users to:

  • It will be safe to check the link before clicking. Hover over it to preview the URL, and look for misspellings or other irregularities
  • It’s better not to follow links from e-mails at all. Instead, you can open a new tab or window and enter the URL of your bank or other destination manually.
  • Consider what kind of information is being requested. Legitimate companies don’t contact you out of the blue via unsolicited emails to ask you for personal information such as banking or credit card details, social security number etc. In general, unsolicited messages telling you to ‘verify account details’ or ‘update your account information’ should be treated with caution.
  • Use a reliable security solution, such as Kaspersky (http://bit.ly/3UCDzB7), that identifies malicious attachments and blocks phishing sites.
  • Grammar and spelling check is an effective way to identify a scammer. Typos and bad grammar are red flags. So too are odd phrasing or unusual syntax, which might result from the email being translated back and forth through translator several times.

 


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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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NAICOM Signs Agreement with NDPC on Data Protection in Insurance Sector

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The National Insurance Commission (NAICOM), has signed agreement with the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) with the aim of enhancing data protection within the insurance sector.

According to NAICOM, the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has as its objectives training and capacity building in the area of providing training to enhance awareness and skills in data protection, establishing privacy clinics by setting up specialised clinics to address data protection concerns and provide guidance.

NAICOM said other objectives of the agreement include conducting compliance activities, regularly monitoring and enforcing compliance with data protection regulations, promoting awareness in the area of educating insurance companies on the importance of data protection and the benefits of adhering to best practices.

Developing data protection guidelines through creation of specialized guidelines for insurance institutions to ensure they are equipped to handle data protection responsibilities effectively.

NAICOM said the collaboration marked a significant milestone in safeguarding the personal data of insurance policyholders and promoting trust in the insurance sector.

The commission said to ensure the effective implementation of the agreement, an implementation committee would be established. The committee, the commission said, would comprise of representatives from the two agencies, as well as other key industry associations, including the Nigerian Insurers Association (NIA) and the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB).

 


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5 Benefits of MTN Mobile Ads for your Business

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Businesses worldwide are increasingly embracing mobile advertising services, allowing them to connect with potential customers directly on their smartphones and engage with them more effectively.

This trend is rapidly gaining momentum, and companies in Nigeria are also taking part in this shift.

Every day, more Nigerian businesses are seeking the most efficient strategies to reach their target audiences and convert them into loyal customers.

MTN Nigeria is redefining digital advertisement with MTN Mobile Ads. With a rich customer base of 79.5 million subscribers in Nigeria, MTN Mobile Ads continues to help businesses reach millions of customers nationwide.

Here are five reasons you should use MTN Mobile Ads for your business advertisements:
Targeted marketing

MTN Mobile Ads uses first party data to enable specific targeting of audience based on behaviour, interests and demographic. This ensures that your marketing efforts are directed toward the most relevant audiences, thereby increasing engagement and conversion.

Data-Driven Insights:

Businesses can gain valuable insights from their advertising campaigns, allowing them to fine-tune their strategies for maximum impact. This data-driven approach helps in optimizing campaigns based on real user behaviour and preferences

Diverse advertising formats

This service supports several advertising formats including targeted SMS, marketplace listing on the MyMTN app, display banners, and Rich messaging services (RCS) across both mobile and web platforms. This versatility allows your business to customize your marketing strategy to suit different audience preferences and increase engagement opportunities.

Data-free solutions

MTN Mobile Advertising provides data-free solutions. That means users can view your Ads with or without data. This feature significantly increases engagement rate as it allows your business connect with customers who may have been avoiding ads to save their data.

Cost-effective

With MTN Mobile Ads, you can choose an advertising plan that suits your budget. This flexibility allows businesses to enjoy the benefits of advertising without overspending.

As competition in businesses increase, the need to make advertising a crucial part of your marketing strategy cannot be over-emphasized.

MTN’s Mobile advertising services are the most result-oriented strategy your business should engage in so you can have the same opportunities your competitors may have.


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Zuckerberg’s Mar-a-Lago Meeting with Trump: What It Means for Tech

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Billionaire Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg met Wednesday with incoming US president Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, the latest sign of the Meta chief’s warming up to the president-elect ahead of his second term.

“It’s an important time for the future of American Innovation. Mark was grateful for the invitation to join President Trump for dinner and the opportunity to meet with members of his team about the incoming Administration,” a Meta spokesperson told CNN.

Politico was first to report Zuckerberg was spotted at Mar-a-Lago. It was not immediately known what the two discussed.

Zuckerberg was in touch with Trump in the months leading up to the election, according to a New York Times report. After the assassination attempt on Trump’s life in July, Zuckerberg told Bloomberg that Trump standing back up and pumping his fist in the air was “one of the most badass things I’ve ever seen in my life.”

In a book released this summer, Trump accused the Meta chief of “plotting” against him and threatened Zuckerberg with “life in prison” if he did “anything illegal” during the election.

“We are watching him closely,” Trump wrote, “and if he does anything illegal this time he will spend the rest of his life in prison — as will others who cheat in the 2024 Presidential Election.”

In an interview on Wednesday night on Fox News, Trump adviser Stephen Miller confirmed the meeting and said Zuckerberg “has been very clear about this desire to be a supporter of and a participant in this change that we’re seeing all around America all around the world, this reform movement Donald Trump is leading“


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