The Civil Guard has detected seven cases in Cantabria of fake applications to watch matches, with a fraud of €25,000. Cybercriminals use the lure of free football to steal banking credentials.
The Civil Guard has alerted to a new cyber scam that takes advantage of the start of the football season to distribute malicious mobile applications. According to 65ymas.com, since the end of August, seven cases in Cantabria have been detected with an accumulated fraud of about €25,000.
The @ team of the Civil Guard in Cantabria, specialised in cybercrime, has confirmed an increase in fraudulent links on social media and unsecure sources promoting applications to watch or follow matches. These links redirect to the download of programs that, under the pretext of offering free content, infect the mobile and take control of the device.
The method consists of promising free access to sports broadcasts. Once the app is installed, the virus runs in the background and allows scammers to monitor keystrokes, capture screens, and bypass electronic banking security measures, thereby obtaining private credentials and emptying accounts without raising immediate suspicion.
The Civil Guard advises to be wary of applications found outside official stores or websites.
It also recommends being cautious of links shared on social media or messaging that promise free football, being alert to strange reboots or abnormal battery consumption, and reviewing the permissions requested by the application before installing it.
If there is suspicion that the device is infected, the armed institute advises to uninstall the application immediately, change all passwords (banks, emails, platforms) from another secure device, and file a complaint with the State Security Forces and Corps or via online complaint at official offices.
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