• Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
MUST READ

PyPI maintainers alert users to email verification phishing attack

 | 

FBI seizes 20 BTC from Chaos Ransomware affiliate targeting Texas firms

 | 

Critical SAP flaw exploited to launch Auto-Color Malware attack on U.S. company

 | 

Orange reports major cyberattack, warns of service disruptions

 | 

Hackers leak images and comments from women dating safety app Tea

 | 

Pro-Ukraine hacktivists claim cyberattack on Russian Airline Aeroflot that caused the cancellation of +100 flights

 | 

Seychelles Commercial Bank Reported Cybersecurity Incident

 | 

Microsoft uncovers macOS flaw allowing bypass TCC protections and exposing sensitive data

 | 

U.S. CISA adds Cisco ISE and PaperCut NG/MF flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

Critical WordPress Post SMTP plugin flaw exposes 200K+ sites to full takeover

 | 

Scattered Spider targets VMware ESXi in using social engineering

 | 

China-linked group Fire Ant exploits VMware and F5 flaws since early 2025

 | 

Allianz Life data breach exposed the data of most of its 1.4M customers

 | 

SECURITY AFFAIRS MALWARE NEWSLETTER ROUND 55

 | 

Security Affairs newsletter Round 534 by Pierluigi Paganini – INTERNATIONAL EDITION

 | 

Law enforcement operations seized BlackSuit ransomware gang’s darknet sites

 | 

Arizona woman sentenced for aiding North Korea in U.S. IT job fraud scheme

 | 

Operation CargoTalon targets Russia’s aerospace with EAGLET malware,

 | 

Unpatched flaw in EoL LG LNV5110R cameras lets hackers gain Admin access

 | 

Koske, a new AI-Generated Linux malware appears in the threat landscape

 | 
  • Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
  • Home
  • Breaking News
  • Cyber Crime
  • Hacking
  • Malware
  • Crooks exploit the death of Pope Francis

Crooks exploit the death of Pope Francis

Pierluigi Paganini April 24, 2025

Crooks exploit the death of Pope Francis, using public curiosity and emotion to launch scams and spread malware, an old tactic during global events.

After Pope Francis’ death, cybercriminals launched scams and malware attacks, exploiting public curiosity, grief, and confusion.

Cybercriminals are ready to exploit any event of global interest, it has already happened in the past during events like Queen Elizabeth II’s death or the COVID-19 pandemic. Check Point Research calls this trend “cyber threat opportunism,” noting similar spikes during COVID-19, when Google saw 18M+ daily virus-related scam emails.

These emotionally charged moments are fertile ground for digital exploitation. The emotional vulnerability of users makes them prime targets for attackers seeking clicks, personal data, or financial information.

The death of Pope Francis highlights how cybercriminals exploit any event for malicious gain. Strong security practices and awareness are crucial defenses against such risks.

Disinformation as a Gateway

One of the most dangerous criminal practices associated with these events is disinformation. Fake news spreads like wildfire on platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. AI-generated images and videos fuel conspiracy theories, some claim Pope Francis is still alive, and others sensationalize the circumstances of his death.

Pope Francis frauds
Source CheckPoint A fake image generated by artificial intelligence, originally spread in February 2025, is reappearing on various websites and social media posts linking to supposed news sites.

These posts, designed to draw clicks and shares, often contain embedded links that redirect users to fraudulent websites.

CheckPoint found a scam where a fake news link led to a bogus Google gift card page. It tricked users into giving up personal info, including payment data.

Hidden Malware and Data Harvesting

Some malicious sites run hidden scripts that silently gather device names, OS, geolocation, and more data later sold on the dark web or used for phishing attack

Threat actors used malware to steal login credentials, financial information, and personal files. Experts warn that even seemingly harmless browsing habits can expose you to these risks if you’re not cautious about the websites you visit.

The SEO Poisoning Trap

Cybercriminals use SEO poisoning to boost malicious sites in search results for trending terms like “Pope Francis death,” tricking users into visiting harmful pages.

When unsuspecting users search for credible updates, they may unknowingly click on these malicious results. Once they do, they’re exposed to malware or credential-harvesting schemes that often look nearly identical to real news websites. This creates a dangerous feedback loop where trust in online information continues to erode.

Why These Campaigns Are Hard to Detect

A key challenge in these attacks is that cybercriminals use new or dormant domains with no malicious history, helping them evade traditional threat detection tools.

“Cybercriminals thrive on chaos and curiosity. Every time there’s a significant global event, we see an immediate spike in scams designed to exploit public interest.” said Rafa Lopez, Security Engineer at Check Point Software Technologies-

So, how can individuals protect themselves during these high-risk periods?

  1. Keep your browser and OS up to date
    Patches and updates often fix vulnerabilities that attackers exploit. Make it a habit to regularly check for updates and install them immediately.
  2. Use trusted web protection tools
    Browser extensions like Check Point Harmony Browse or similar tools can verify websites in real-time, blocking dangerous sites before they load.
  3. Be skeptical of sensational headlines
    If something sounds too shocking to be true, it likely is. Always cross-reference with trusted media outlets before believing or sharing.
  4. Never click on suspicious links
    Especially in emails or social media posts claiming to have “exclusive” content. Navigate directly to official news sources by typing the URL manually.
  5. Check suspicious links and files
    Use services like VirusTotal or Check Point ThreatCloud to scan files and URLs before opening them.
  6. Invest in a comprehensive security suite
    Choose antivirus software that includes phishing protection, threat detection, and automatic updates to ensure maximum protection.

In times of grief or global attention, stay informed and cautious to prevent curiosity from becoming a gateway for cybercriminals. Be prepared and stay secure.

Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook and Mastodon

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, Pope Fancis)


facebook linkedin twitter

Cybercrime fraud Hacking hacking news information security news IT Information Security malware phishing Pierluigi Paganini Pope Francis Security Affairs Security News

you might also like

Pierluigi Paganini July 30, 2025
PyPI maintainers alert users to email verification phishing attack
Read more
Pierluigi Paganini July 30, 2025
FBI seizes 20 BTC from Chaos Ransomware affiliate targeting Texas firms
Read more

leave a comment

newsletter

Subscribe to my email list and stay
up-to-date!

    recent articles

    PyPI maintainers alert users to email verification phishing attack

    Hacking / July 30, 2025

    FBI seizes 20 BTC from Chaos Ransomware affiliate targeting Texas firms

    Cyber Crime / July 30, 2025

    Critical SAP flaw exploited to launch Auto-Color Malware attack on U.S. company

    Malware / July 30, 2025

    Orange reports major cyberattack, warns of service disruptions

    Security / July 29, 2025

    Hackers leak images and comments from women dating safety app Tea

    Data Breach / July 29, 2025

    To contact me write an email to:

    Pierluigi Paganini :
    pierluigi.paganini@securityaffairs.co

    LEARN MORE

    QUICK LINKS

    • Home
    • Cyber Crime
    • Cyber warfare
    • APT
    • Data Breach
    • Deep Web
    • Digital ID
    • Hacking
    • Hacktivism
    • Intelligence
    • Internet of Things
    • Laws and regulations
    • Malware
    • Mobile
    • Reports
    • Security
    • Social Networks
    • Terrorism
    • ICS-SCADA
    • POLICIES
    • Contact me

    Copyright@securityaffairs 2024

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities...
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT