The success of the "Donate to Corinthians Arena" campaign, organized by Gaviões da Fiel to pay off the club's debt related to the financing of Neo Química Arena, attracted the attention of cybercriminals who created fake URLs to deceive fans and divert funds. Therefore, the sports institution established a partnership with theDfense, a hub for leading cybersecurity solutions, to tackle the problem, which has already yielded great results: more than 300 fraudulent websites have been identified, 200 have been taken down and 60 are under continuous monitoring.
The Information Security Master Plan (PDSI) was centralized around the actions of one of the group's startups, ZenoX. The company monitors, collects, processes, and analyzes data on the internet, deep web, and dark web, prioritizing and classifying vulnerabilities.Gabriel Paiva, founder and CEO of ZenoX and Grupo Dfense, emphasizes that the strategy was designed not only for financial relevance but also emotional significance. "Certifying cybersecurity in large public actions like this goes beyond preventing financial losses; it is about protecting passionate people who are united for a cause and deserve peace of mind to navigate the digital world," he says.
Campaign Details
Launched on November 27, 2024, the Corinthian fans' campaign was authorized by the club and Caixa Econômica Federal to raise approximately R$700 million. So far, donations made via PIX on the official website have exceeded R$28 million, with R$10 million raised in just the first 36 hours online.
Marcius Ayres, Corinthians’ Information Technology and Security Coordinator, highlights how establishing solid digital defenses was essential to this success: “The response time for the action is much lower than expected. Cybercriminals could cause enormous damage to Corinthians fans and the campaign without due attention to the issue, so this is a work that deserves to be praised,” he states.
How can fans strengthen their digital defenses?
To better combat the actions of scalpers, the Corinthians fans can add protective measures to their daily lives, especially considering the exponential increase in the number of cybercrimes. According to the "Threat Landscape for Latin America 2024" by Kaspersky, Brazil is the country most affected by cyberattacks in the world, recording over 700 million virtual attacks between June 2023 and July 2024.
For Paiva, one of the main enhancements in cybersecurity is URL verification. "More conventional attacks, such as email scams and phishing, continue to be the biggest threats because they reach a large number of people quickly, so it is important for fans to access the campaign website directly through the browser instead of clicking on suspicious links," he advises.
The specialist also mentions some additional tools to improve protections: "Antivirus, two-factor authentication (2FA), and device updates help block unauthorized access, prevent malicious links, and protect systems against cyber threats," he adds. Finally, the executive also mentions some measures to act quickly and minimize damage if the user falls victim to a digital scam. They are:
- Contact your financial institution, notifying the bank about unauthorized transactions and requesting the blocking of compromised cards or accounts;
- Gather evidence such as emails, messages, or screenshots that may be useful for future investigations;
- File a Police Report (BO), formalizing the complaint at a police station or through online channels to assist in the investigation of cybercriminals;
- Monitor statements and credit reports, tracking financial transactions to identify suspicious activity and inform the responsible agencies to prevent misuse of stolen data.
