Cybercriminals target French students with fake school class assignment scams

Fraudulent websites are targeting students and parents in France by falsely claiming to reveal school class assignments ahead of the September 1st start date. The French Ministry of National Education has issued a categorical warning that there is no official way to know class compositions before the first day of school.

Cybersecurity experts and the Ministry of the Interior's cyber defense command (COMCYBER-MI) have identified several fraudulent sites, such as 'TrouveClasse.com' and 'listeclasse.com', which use official-looking imagery and references to the 'Affelnet' system to gain credibility. These sites are reportedly hosted in the Netherlands and are part of an organized criminal operation.

The scams utilize social engineering to collect personal data, including names, schools, and cities. This information is often sold on the dark web for identity theft or targeted phishing. Additionally, the sites trick users into downloading malicious applications that install malware to capture banking details or spyware to record keystrokes and passwords. Experts recommend that anyone who has interacted with these sites should clear their browser cache, delete cookies, and change their passwords immediately.