Hackers Made PUBG Phishing Pages To Target Gamers: Cyber Experts

By Muskan Singh: If you are a fan of mobile gaming and going crazy after PUBG has announced its launch in India then stay alert as cybercriminals have flooded the web and social media with fake websites and phishing links to fool you.

Yes, be extra cautious while looking for latest PUBG related updates on the internet as casing on game’s popularity scammers have written malicious scripts and made hundreds of fake websites.

According to experts, most of these dubious websites will offer exclusive entry, freebies or lure with other exciting offers.

The central government had banned several mobile apps, including PUBG, in the country, citing national security on September 2.

Since PUBG India has made no official announcement social media is full of rumours, leaks and even fake news. Cyber experts have warned that from identity theft to financial fraud. Scammers have laid different traps for different users. “Some fake websites are offering exclusive entry to the Indian version of the game and new accessories against the payment if money. While some hackers are asking users to link their gaming account, which is usually linked with social media handle just to steal their personal information or gains access to their account for further crime,” said a Delhi based cyber expert.

International cybersecurity firm Kaspersky experts have found hundreds of phishing pages, aimed at stealing PUBG Mobile accounts.

Kaspersky has identified no less than 260 phishing pages, offering users the chance to win new items. To get the prizes, users simply needed to submit their gaming accounts through their Twitter or Facebook profiles. Once entry failed, users were requested to provide additional information, including the nickname they use in the game, their phone number, and other personal details. As a result, scammers not only collected social media accounts but these additional personal details — all in order to sell the gaming accounts for a profit.

“The attackers got themselves really well prepared for the start of the new gaming season. The pages we found were designed in a very convincing way, both in design and interface, that is normally very familiar to gamers,” said Tatyana Shcherbakova, security expert at Kaspersky.

The menace of phishing attack has increased by many folds in India. According to Google’s Transparency Report, the tech giant detected an average of 46,000 new phishing websites every week in 2020.