Kaspersky has contributed to tackling fraudulent schemes surrounding the 2024 Summer Olympic Games in France by sharing threat intelligence data with INTERPOL as part of Project Stadia. The initiative is designed to ensure the cyber safety of major international events, including sporting tournaments, cultural, social, and religious gatherings, as well as conferences. Cyber experts addressed threats such as phishing websites and social engineering scams aimed at stealing money and credentials from unsuspecting fans.
INTERPOL’s efforts during the Summer Games included preventing and addressing cybercrime activities surrounding the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics in France, ensuring the safety of millions of spectators and participants. The project targeted fraudulent schemes designed to steal users’ money and data. As part of this effort, Kaspersky collaborated with INTERPOL and its Gateway project partners by sharing dedicated threat intelligence data. The Kaspersky team observed a sharp rise in deceptive activities and conducted an in-depth analysis of phishing websites masquerading as official Summer Games sites, uncovering key scams that cybercriminals used to exploit viewers’ excitement and trust.
Kaspersky experts uncovered numerous scam websites offering tickets for Paris Summer Games events, as well as fraudulent online stores selling merchandise like shirts, uniforms and accessories. They also discovered fake auctions claiming to sell Olympic medals. In addition, Kaspersky researchers identified more sophisticated plots. In one case, cybercriminals used the Olympics as bait, offering users additional mobile data from their operators via WhatsApp. Other attackers lured users to purported online streams of the events, which actually redirected them to fraudulent pages. Once there, victims were tricked into participating in fake contests, ultimately leading to financial losses and the potential exposure of their personal data.
By providing INTERPOL with real-time threat intelligence, Kaspersky helped identify and neutralize phishing scams and other fraudulent activities targeting fans of the Olympics.
“Major global events like the Olympic Games, which draw millions of spectators, are often prime targets for cybercriminals seeking to deceive fans and steal their data and money. To protect users, collaboration between the private and public sectors is essential in combating threats of this scale. We are honored to contribute to joint efforts in neutralizing global cybercrime. By sharing threat intelligence data, Kaspersky is committed to actively supporting INTERPOL’s initiatives, bolstering security measures, and enabling timely, proactive actions to safeguard individuals and society as a whole,” says Yuliya Shlychkova, Vice President, Public Affairs, at Kaspersky.
During the Paris Summer Games, international collaboration was crucial to staying ahead of cybercriminals. By sharing intelligence and best practices, law enforcement agencies and partners were able to respond swiftly to emerging threats. INTERPOL worked closely with private sector partners such as Kaspersky as well as with member countries to protect athletes, spectators, and critical infrastructures from cyber-attacks, helping to ensure a safe and secure event for all,” says Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime.
As part of their long-standing cooperation, Kaspersky and INTERPOL have consistently spearheaded joint operations aimed at combating cybercrime and contributed to projects that raise awareness of modern-day cyber risks. This partnership also encompasses providing human resources support and training members of the law enforcement agency.
Earlier, Kaspersky published research based on the analysis of nearly 25,000 free Wi-Fi spots in Paris during the Summer Olympic Games. The experts found that almost 25 percent of these networks had weak or no encryption, leaving users vulnerable to personal and banking data theft. Learn more in the full blog post.