Media: Scammers use Francis"s death to steal money

Scammers have launched a large-scale campaign following the death of Pope Francis, flooding social media with fake news containing dangerous phishing links aimed at stealing personal data and accessing users' bank accounts.

As reported by TUT.AZ, the European publication Politico, citing a report from IT security company Check Point, revealed details of this fraudulent scheme.

According to the publication, the perpetrators are spreading false messages claiming that the pontiff is allegedly alive, and news of his death is merely a hoax to attract internet traffic. In their schemes, the scammers actively use AI-generated images and video materials featuring Francis. In addition to classic phishing, the criminals resort to more sophisticated schemes, including collecting fake charitable donations and extorting money under various pretexts.

According to Politico, the main platforms for spreading malicious content are TikTok and Instagram.

Pope Francis, who had led the Roman Catholic Church since 2013, died on April 21 at the age of 88 from a stroke that led to a coma and cardiac arrest. The farewell ceremony is taking place at St. Peter's Basilica. Francis requested to be buried in the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore (St. Mary Major). The funeral will be held on April 26. In Argentina, Francis's homeland, a week of mourning was declared in connection with his death.