Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala police on Thursday warned of cyber fraud targeting football fans through fake OTT apps offering free access to FIFA World Cup 2026 matches on social media.

The State Police Media Centre, in a statement, said the fraud begins under the guise of attractive advertisements such as “FIFA World Cup Live Free”, “1000+ TV Channels Free”, and “Premium OTT Content Free” on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp, and YouTube.

The advertisements provide fake application download links that resemble official apps under various names such as HZ TV, OPEN TV, NB TV, MAX TV, XM TV, and TUBI TV, the statement said.

After installing these applications, users are prompted to agree to software updates, subscription activation, and enabling various services.

Once the user agrees to these prompts, the app obtains permissions such as Accessibility Service, Screen Overlay, and Notification Access.

This weakens the phone’s security systems, allowing fraudsters to access various applications without the owner’s knowledge or consent, the police said.

Subsequently, the fraudsters gain control of the phone and illegally withdraw money from users’ bank accounts through UPI applications, it said.

In its advisory to the public, the police warned against installing application files obtained through social media to watch FIFA World Cup matches and advised downloading apps only from official platforms such as Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

It also advised the public not to believe promises of free access made in social media advertisements and to avoid apps that request permissions such as Accessibility Service, Install Unknown Apps, or Screen Control.

Additionally, it advised people to check security settings while using banking and UPI apps and not to forward suspicious links to family members and friends.

“In case of cyber financial fraud, immediately file a complaint on the cyber helpline number 1930 or the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal https://cybercrime.gov.in,” the police said.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 will begin on June 11 and end on July 19.