Description

Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a large-scale social engineering campaign targeting users across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The operation leveraged fraudulent Facebook accounts impersonating politicians, public figures, government entities, and trusted organizations to lure victims with fake promotional offers. These campaigns advertised free mobile internet packages, financial aid programs, and government subsidy schemes, ultimately redirecting users to phishing infrastructure designed to steal sensitive information and generate illicit revenue. The activity has been attributed to the Sniper Dz phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) ecosystem. The attack chain begins with fake Facebook posts distributed through impersonation accounts. Victims are enticed with offers that appear legitimate and relevant to local audiences. When users click the embedded links, they are redirected through multiple intermediary websites before reaching phishing pages or monetization platforms controlled by threat actors. This layered redirection process helps evade detection and increases the effectiveness of the campaign. Researchers linked the operation to Sniper Dz, a long-running phishing-as-a-service platform that provided ready-made phishing kits, hosting services, and operational support to cybercriminals. The platform enabled attackers with limited technical expertise to launch credential theft campaigns using templates that impersonated popular services and organizations. Previous investigations revealed that Sniper Dz infrastructure was associated with tens of thousands of phishing domains and victim records across multiple regions. The platform was recently disrupted during an INTERPOL-led operation, but ongoing campaigns demonstrate the continued impact of its infrastructure and techniques.