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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

General News

MoMo PSB Launches Refer & Win Promo: Free Airtime or Data for Life Awaits Nigerians

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MoMo PSB, a subsidiary of MTN Nigeria and a leading provider of digital financial services, has unveiled its Customer Refer & Win Promo, an exciting initiative aimed at rewarding loyal customers with free airtime or data for life.

This campaign underscores MoMo PSB’s commitment to advancing financial inclusion and enhancing the digital banking experience for millions of Nigerians.

The promo offers customers the chance to win incredible prizes, including free airtime or data every month for 50 years for 11 lucky winners, and consolation prizes for 110 winners who will receive airtime or data every month for one year.

Open to both new and existing customers, the initiative encourages participants to perform qualifying transactions and refer friends and family to activate or reactivate their accounts.

Phrase Lubega, CEO of MoMo PSB, emphasized the company’s dedication to customer satisfaction and seamless financial transactions. “This initiative is about giving back to our customers while promoting the ease and convenience of using MoMo for everyday transactions.

“By simply transacting on the platform, customers get the chance to enjoy free airtime and data for life, an offer that truly rewards their loyalty,” he said.

To participate, customers must complete eligible transactions such as MoMo-to-MoMo transfers, other bank transfers, bill payments, betting wallet top-ups, and airtime/data purchases.

Referrals also earn participants an instant 100MB for every active referral. Weekly electronic draws will determine winners, with the promo running for 12 weeks from April 3rd to June 25th, 2025.

MoMo PSB will also engage users through nationwide activations, interactive sessions, and digital campaigns to drive awareness and participation.

This initiative further solidifies MoMo PSB’s role as a key player in Nigeria’s financial services sector, offering innovative solutions that simplify transactions and enhance customer satisfaction.


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General News

Reps Panel Demands N182bn Refund from Remita Over TSA Discrepancies

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House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has directed Remita, a financial technology firm, to refund N182.77 billion to the federal government. The sum was allegedly withheld from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) since 2015.

The directive was issued on Wednesday during a committee meeting in Abuja, following the submission of a forensic audit report by consulting firm Seyi Katola & Company (Chartered Accountants), which uncovered significant discrepancies in revenue remittances.

Remita, owned by financial services company SystemSpecs, is the online platform through which federal government agencies remit revenue into the TSA. In November 2023, the House launched an investigation into suspected revenue leakages through the platform.

Chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam, said the decision was reached based on evidence presented by the forensic auditors and documents submitted by Remita and other stakeholders in the TSA ecosystem.

Adewale Oyebamiji, managing partner at the auditing firm, presented the breakdown of liabilities, stating that SystemSpecs was responsible for N3.42 billion in under-refunded transaction processing fees, N101.85 million in unpaid acquirer fees, and N179.25 billion in unremitted collections.

The report also applied the Central Bank of Nigeria’s monetary policy rate of 27.25 percent to determine interest charges. According to the findings, the under-refund of transaction processing fees amounted to N993 million, with interest charges of N2.42 billion, bringing the total to N3.42 billion. For unpaid acquirer fees, N29.60 million was due, with interest charges of N72.25 million, totalling N101.85 million. Regarding non-remittance of collections, N54.24 billion was due with N125 billion in interest, totalling N179 billion.

“The committee hereby recommends that SystemSpecs Ltd be compelled to refund the total sum of N182,769,245,175.20 to the federal government asset recovery account domiciled at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), account number: 0020054161191,” the report stated.

The committee noted that some deposit money banks have already complied with similar refund directives and urged other TSA value chain service providers yet to comply to do so without delay.

Chairman Salam praised the forensic auditors for what he described as a thorough and patriotic investigation.


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FG Launches Survey to Encourage Nigerian Digital Firms Spread Across Africa

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The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment has announced the launch of the Digital Services Survey in a strategic effort to empower Nigerian digital service providers to expand across Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

The ministry’s Director Press and Public Relations, Dr. Adebayo Thomas in a statement  said the aims of the digital services initiative is to map and support the growth of Nigerian digital services throughout the continent and simplify the process for digital businesses to navigate regulatory environments and expand their reach across African markets.

He added that Nigerian digital businesses often face challenges when entering other African markets, including uncertainties around service registration, applicable regulations, and responsible agencies.

Thomas said: “Unlike physical goods, digital services don not always align with existing trade categories. This framework will serve as a common language, ensuring consistent treatment of digital services across borders” and its benefits include unlocking new markets by identifying target African countries for expansion, as Nigeria can focus trade negotiations on opening specific markets for digital services.”

He added, “The framework would also create a Digital Services Repository and for the first time, Nigeria will compile a comprehensive database of digital service providers, their expansion plans, and the challenges they face.

“Furthermore, the framework would strengthen Nigeria’s digital leadership by positioning the country as a proactive leader in Africa’s digital economy, shaping the rules and standards for digital trade.”

 


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