With the commencement of FIFA World Cup 2026, the Kerala Police have cautioned against cyber frauds that target football fans through social media platforms.According to an advisory, fraudsters are circulating attractive advertisements on Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp and YouTube, and offering services such as ‘FIFA World Cup live free,’ ‘1000+ TV channels free,’ ‘Free premium OTT content,’ and ‘Movies and Matches without Advertisements.’The scam begins through fake APK download links which are promoted under names such as HZ TV, OPEN TV, NB TV, MAX TV, XM TV and TUBI TV that are designed to appear like official applications.After installation, such applications display messages such as ‘Update Required,’ ‘Activate Subscription’ and ‘Enable Service’ in order to prompt users to activate them. Through this process, the applications obtain permissions, including accessibility service, screen overlay and notification access. The fraudsters then gain access to various applications on the device without the owner’s knowledge or consent.According to the police, the fraudsters can take complete control of the mobile phone and illegally withdraw money from bank accounts through UPI applications.The Kerala Police have advised the public not to install APK files received through social media for watching FIFA World Cup matches. Applications should be downloaded only from official platforms such as Google Play Store and Apple App Store.The public have also been urged to immediately report cyberfrauds through the Cyber Helpline number 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Portal on https://cybercrime.gov.in. Published - June 11, 2026 08:37 pm IST