To make the website appear legitimate, the fake site uses European Union imagery and is available in several languages, including English, Turkish, Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and others. Tourists are asked not only to provide their personal details, but also information about accompanying travelers, to enter their dates of entry into and departure from the Schengen Area, and upload scans of their passports.
The information collected through this fake website could potentially be used by the perpetrators to contact victims by phone and attempt to obtain personal details.
“Cybercriminals rely on creating a sense of urgency. They know travelers may have spent weeks preparing their visa applications and fear problems at the border. That's the reason why such emails can make recipients drop their guard, especially when the fake site looks convincing, with a multilingual interface and a design that resembles the official EU portal.
Travelers should remember that they do not currently need to register for the EES online in advance. We also advise to check the sender’s address and verify any new requirements directly with the relevant consulate or visa center. Don’t click links in unexpected emails or upload passport scans or other documents to third-party websites,” comments Georgy Kucherin, Senior security researcher at Kaspersky GReAT.
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