Fraud at the World Cup: When Volume Turns into Vulnerability | "What The Fraud?" Podcast

THOMAS TARANIUK: Hello, and welcome to What The Fraud?, a podcast by Sumsub where digital fraudsters meet their match. I'm Thomas Taraniuk, currently responsible for some of our very exciting partnerships here at Sumsub, a global verification platform helping businesses verify users, companies, and transactions. Today, we're doing a World Cup special. The most-watched sporting event on the planet is also one of the most bet on, and where money flows, fraud follows.

So, what can we actually do about it? My guest today is Ludovico Calvi, Honorary President at ULIS, United Lotteries for Integrity in Sports. It's a global nonprofit association that supports licensed lotteries in fighting corruption and maintaining sports integrity. Ludovico was also the CEO of Lottomatica Betting in Italy, so he has experience in both managing fraud risk on the frontline and coordinating cross-border responses while setting up integrity standards. He is the perfect guest for this episode. Ludovico, welcome to What The Fraud?

LUDOVICO CALVI: Thank you, Tom, and thank you for having me.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Pleasure to have you on today's episode. Before we get into ULIS, I want to frame a big question for today. From our perspective, we see fraud spike around events like the World Cup, right? And it's not random at all. So, why does fraud actually activate before and during a tournament like this? What should the industry be doing about it?

Why does fraud activate before and during tournaments?

LUDOVICO CALVI: When we talk about major tournaments like the World Cup, the instinct is always to focus on engagement, excitement, and growth. But from a fraud and integrity perspective, we look at the same event through completely different lenses. What these events create is not just scale, but a change in the structure of the market. You suddenly have an explosion in volume: deposits, bets, withdrawals. Everyone is talking about the World Cup, and the hype is also in the news. So, this combination of a massive influx of new users—many of whom are casual, recreational consumers or first-time participants—together with the explosion of volume in deposits and bets, makes the market highly global. It is a global sports event and the biggest sports betting event on earth this year by far. Activities flow across jurisdictions, platforms, and regulatory environments. So, this combination creates what I would call a perfect operating environment for fraud.

Suggested read: Kick-Off for Fraud: How the Football World Cup 2026 Puts Betting Platforms Under Attack

Fraud does not necessarily become more sophisticated overnight, Tom, but it becomes more effective because it can hide within that scale. Fraud does not grow linearly during these events; it accelerates because the conditions allow it to do so. When I say it is “fraud season,” I mean these events can expose the true resilience or weaknesses of a system.

So, while most people think about peak engagement and how people can entertain themselves by watching the games, from a fraud and integrity perspective we think about something else. We think that velocity and global participation create the conditions for both financial fraud and sports integrity risks to scale simultaneously. And this is the issue.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Really interesting, the way you put that—the idea that fraud can slip through the cracks at this scale, right? And the buildup to events like this is critical for identifying weaker points, especially around sporting integrity. But before we get into that, could you explain a bit about what ULIS does, and specifically how its role has become more critical in the lead-up to global sporting events like the World Cup?

The role of ULIS in safeguarding global sporting events

LUDOVICO CALVI: ULIS is, as you said, a nonprofit global sports integrity association. We have over 55 members worldwide across five continents, and they are fully operational. They have their trading floors. ULIS has its own trading floors in Hong Kong, Copenhagen, and North America, in Canada.

What we do is detect suspicious betting patterns through real-time platforms, through which members can communicate. We can eventually escalate cases to sports prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, leagues, and regulators by providing evidence across jurisdictions that potential manipulation of sports competitions is taking place.

Unless you have a global network, it is very difficult to do so, Tom, because sometimes the money could come from Asia, the bet is placed in Europe, and the game is in South or North America. Unless you have a coordinated network of information exchange, you will not be able to detect that.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Really interesting points here. A fragmented industry can indicate a more risk-oriented environment as well. 1.5 billion people watched the last World Cup, and almost 1.5 billion pounds were spent on bets in the UK alone during the last tournament. You mentioned how the ecosystem shifts in the lead-up to these tournaments, but how does fraud actually start building up before the World Cup even begins? What do you typically see in this phase?

How does fraud start building up before the World Cup begins?

LUDOVICO CALVI: The next FIFA World Cup will feature 104 matches—a new record for the tournament. To put that into perspective, the 2022 World Cup in Qatar featured only 64 matches. This is roughly a 62% increase in the number of games. There are more teams, expanding from 32 to 48, including new second-tier teams such as Haiti, Curaçao, Cape Verde, Jordan, and Congo.

These teams are represented by athletes who may not be fully professional, and we need to understand the environments in which some of these athletes usually play.

To be honest, there are four structural dynamics that explain why fraud accelerates so significantly in major events like the World Cup.

First is volume and velocity. The number of transactions increases dramatically, and they happen faster. This creates pressure on monitoring systems and reduces the effectiveness of manual controls. Fraud thrives in environments where signals are diluted by noise. The number of betting markets and player propositions based on performance has increased significantly since the last World Cup. You can place a bet on a throw-in, and that can be considered an element of vulnerability.

The second element is the number of new users. Major tournaments bring in a large number of new recreational players who are less experienced. They are attracted by the World Cup because they support their teams, but they are less aware of risks and can be influenced by social engineering, misleading promotions, and phishing attacks. From a fraud perspective, this is a highly attractive target group. New players often enter the market through mobile channels, across borders, and with minimal verification friction, as operators optimize conversion through promotions.

The third element is cross-border activity. Betting during a World Cup is global. Even if you place your bet within your jurisdiction and legal framework, the event itself may take place elsewhere. This fragmentation can create gaps in standards.

The last element is commercial pressure. Operators compete aggressively for market share during these events, which often leads to strong acquisition campaigns, generous bonuses, and reduced onboarding friction. While legitimate from a business perspective, this can create additional entry points for fraud.

The key point is that the World Cup does not create fraud itself; it creates the conditions for fraud to scale more effectively.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Some really interesting insights there. We're talking about volume and velocity leading up to an event of this scale, with cross-border activity and acquisition strategies allowing for more effective user onboarding. It sounds like it's shaping up to be a much bigger event in the broader iGaming landscape.

You mentioned new users as well. Nearly one in five football fans will place their first bet during the World Cup. How do you see the balance between opportunistic fraud and organized, coordinated activity?

Opportunistic and organized fraud during the World Cup

LUDOVICO CALVI: AI has industrialized fraud. When you look at fraud during these events, what is striking is that it is not random. It follows a very structured pattern.

The first and most important element is multi-accounting. This is the foundation of most large-scale fraud activity: the ability to create and manage multiple identities, whether synthetic or real. AI has accelerated the creation of synthetic identities. This allows actors to bypass limits, exploit promotions, and distribute risk.

These accounts are not immediately suspicious because they are created, maintained, and sometimes left dormant for weeks or months before being activated during high-value events. We call these “sleeper accounts.”

Suggested read: Multi-Accounting: What Industries are Under Threat and How to Stop It

The second element is bonus abuse. This is often misunderstood and not always perceived as fraud in itself, but at scale, it becomes highly systematic. Fraud actors exploit promotional structures—free bets, matched deposits—and use them across multiple accounts or platforms to create low-risk or risk-free outcomes.

This is difficult to detect locally because activity is spread across jurisdictions and operators. That is what makes it powerful. What is not visible locally can be detected through a global network.

Suggested read: Bonus Abuse in Gambling: Types, Risks & How to Prevent It

Another element is organized syndicates. These are not loose groups; they are structured organizations with traders, AI-supported algorithms, and defined roles. They use shared infrastructure and operate across platforms. In many ways, they resemble legitimate businesses in their organization and efficiency.

On top of that, there is automation and bots. This is a major shift. In milliseconds, simultaneous bets can be placed across networks of accounts and platforms. Automation removes human latency and allows rapid account creation, real-time market scanning, and instant execution of predefined strategies. Sometimes, what matters is not just sophistication, but speed.

Finally, these mechanisms no longer operate in isolation. They function within a coordinated ecosystem where all elements work together.

THOMAS TARANIUK: It's super interesting. If we're looking at the organized crime elements, where these groups are working together to attack vulnerabilities across fragmented iGaming operations, we are looking at account takeovers, syndicate betting, AI, and bot exploitation. But if we're looking more towards the opportunistic side, when we're looking at an account—not an account takeover, but more so bonus abuse or multi-accounting—what would you say is more damaging from a financial or systemic risk perspective during major events?

Which type of fraud causes the most financial damage during major events?

LUDOVICO CALVI: Let's not forget that the whole sports ecosystem and the gaming industry would lose credibility. The manipulation of sports competitions is bad for all the actors involved, and this is why it is extremely important that we detect any potential suspicious patterns and deal with them.

So we, as ULIS, have a proper operating committee during these events. What our members and our trading floors do is maintain constant check-and-balance activities before the games, during the games, and after the games. This allows us to escalate when needed.

We also work very closely with FIFA. FIFA has an integrity platform running during the World Cup, and we coordinate closely with them, communicating effectively when we detect anything suspicious.

Today, there are different layers: the identity layer, where accounts are created and managed; the transaction layer, where funds are moved, often through complex payment structures; and the betting layer, where strategies are executed.

What is interesting is that these three layers are often separated. Different individuals or groups may handle different parts of the process, which creates resilience and scalability.

From a broader perspective, this means that fraud today is no longer opportunistic. It is designed, optimized, and scaled. Fraud is becoming a system rather than a series of isolated actions.

THOMAS TARANIUK: It's really interesting that you point out how fragmented this is, and I'd like to follow up on where you think this is going. From your perspective, is enough being done in terms of data sharing and collaboration between parties such as betting companies and gaming operators, or is there still much more to be done?

LUDOVICO CALVI: There is much more to be done. In our ecosystem, we have both sports law and criminal law. The issue is that once we escalate a potential match-fixing case, which becomes manipulation of sports competition, sports prosecutors may move faster than criminal prosecutors.

You may see an athlete being suspended even though the individual has not committed a crime, or in that jurisdiction match-fixing may not even be a crime. Or the opposite can happen: an individual may be arrested but not suspended from the league because the timelines of sports tribunals and criminal proceedings are different. This creates inconsistency and reduces perceived effectiveness.

On the question of privacy, should we compromise between privacy and integrity? We believe there is no compromise. We cannot compromise between privacy and integrity. Together with Interpol, a fully encrypted platform has been created where information can be exchanged securely. Integrity actors do not know what has been shared, but when sports executives or criminal prosecutors access the data, they can follow up appropriately.

In my opinion, this is the way forward. We need collective action and collective responsibility. This is not something one jurisdiction or one continent can address alone. We need a global response. That is why we create more interaction between members, because nobody can win this battle alone.

Every day presents a renewed challenge, and we must face it effectively because credibility is at stake—for the sports ecosystem and the gaming industry.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Certainly. Ludovico, when we look at the gaming industry and your years of experience, now with ULIS and previously at William Hill, you're working to make the industry safer and more reputable. Why do you think iGaming has such a negative reputation?

Why does iGaming have a negative reputation?

LUDOVICO CALVI: We need to communicate more effectively. I made sure that the last five to ten years of my career were focused on doing exactly that—creating a culture that distinguishes the bad actors from the good ones.

Fighting illegal gaming organizations and protecting consumers is a moral mission. We must do this together with political stakeholders, regulators, and law enforcement.

In my personal life, my mother, who was a devout Catholic, always saw sports betting as something negative. She did not understand why I was involved in giving players the opportunity to place bets. I explained to her that I was selling entertainment. The 10 euros or pounds spent on a bet are equivalent to the same amount spent on a movie.

We are creating entertainment. As I moved more into strategy, integrity, and safeguarding the legal betting ecosystem, she began to understand my perspective. Today, we are closer than ever in how we view the industry.

Being involved in sports integrity and safeguarding the reputation of sports and the gaming industry has been my priority.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Wonderful. The combination of reputational risk, time to decision, and financial risk is often key. At certain points, this goes beyond financial risk. During events like the World Cup or the NFL, where do you see the line between fraud and broader integrity risks such as match-fixing?

The line between fraud and integrity risks

LUDOVICO CALVI: There are cases where members raise suspicions about unusual activity. These cases are escalated to the operating committee, or “war room,” during events like the World Cup. We then check whether there is confirmation from other jurisdictions. It is important that evidence is confirmed across multiple jurisdictions and contexts. Because the World Cup is a global event, markets offered in one jurisdiction may not exist in another.

For example, player performance markets can be more vulnerable, as they are linked to individual actions like throw-ins, red cards, or shots on goal. These areas require closer scrutiny. Organizations like ULIS connect these vulnerabilities and inform operators about which markets are safer to offer. We also have integrity standards, ranking events from A to D.

An Integrity D event requires low thresholds and high attention, while an Integrity A event, such as a Premier League game, allows for broader market offerings because vulnerabilities are lower.

The effectiveness of fraud and integrity systems depends on how well stakeholders collaborate, not just on individual capabilities. This is a global phenomenon that requires collective action.

THOMAS TARANIUK: I imagine it's also important to look retrospectively at previous World Cups, like Qatar or Russia 2018. Based on your experience, what has changed in terms of fraud patterns, and what are you watching more closely as we approach the next tournament?

Have fraud patterns changed?

LUDOVICO CALVI: Definitely AI. AI has industrialized fraud, especially in the creation of synthetic identities. For example, a phone number may be used for verification, but it cannot receive calls, only text messages. This requires strong compliance and onboarding controls.

These accounts may remain dormant and then suddenly activate, depositing funds and executing fraud very quickly. AI also enables behavior that mimics legitimate users. Fraudulent accounts can appear like recreational players but operate within coordinated multi-account networks.

Individual operators may not detect this unless data is shared across platforms. However, operators are often competitors, and sharing information is not always a priority, even in cases involving manipulation of sports competitions. I reached a point in my career where I realized more needed to be done. This is a win-win for everyone—for sports, leagues, law enforcement, and the gaming industry.

There are also cases where criminal organizations acquire lower-division teams with the purpose of fixing matches for money laundering.

Suggested read: How Money Is Laundered Through Football

This is unacceptable. We owe it to the public to protect consumers and the integrity of the industry. This is why I support the legalization of sports betting. Black markets allow criminal organizations to thrive and prevent detection of manipulation.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Ludovico, you sound very passionate about this. ULIS seems to be fighting on all fronts—from opportunistic fraud to organized crime. When addressing this problem, how early should companies start preparing, and what should that preparation look like?

How early should betting companies start preparing for major events?

LUDOVICO CALVI: Preparation should start early. We know the teams, the players, and the potential vulnerabilities of certain markets. Operators must define which markets to offer and set appropriate thresholds.

It is also essential to communicate globally and participate in coordinated initiatives like the World Cup operating committee. This creates a shared environment where insights are not limited to individual operators but contribute to a broader understanding of market behavior. This is especially important in an AI-driven environment where fraudsters are also using advanced tools.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Preparation is clearly key. If fraudsters are preparing for such a profitable event, everything must be in place. You mentioned the tools being built to fight fraud—what does coordination actually look like in practice?

LUDOVICO CALVI: Operators rely on internal monitoring systems involving traders, compliance teams, and payment teams. However, coordination must extend beyond organizational and jurisdictional boundaries.

Regulatory frameworks differ across countries, so real-time information sharing is critical. In some cases, escalation to FIFA can prevent incidents before they occur—for example, by informing teams directly.

At the core of this model is continuous real-time data exchange. Participants share suspicious betting patterns, unusual market movements, and behavioral anomalies.

For example, a dormant account suddenly depositing a large amount would trigger alerts. This allows immediate comparison across jurisdictions and improves the ability to detect coordinated activity. No single operator sees the full picture, but collectively, patterns become visible.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Can you share an example from your career where you identified unusual behavior and acted in time to prevent fraud?

LUDOVICO CALVI: Over my 30-year career, there have been several cases. One example involved a second-division European league game. We opened the market on Monday for a Saturday match and noticed unusual betting activity on a 4–0 correct score outcome. This was suspicious, especially several days before the match. The odds started at 50 to 1, and as money kept flowing in, we reduced them to 40, then 30, then 20. Eventually, we stopped offering bets on that outcome. We coordinated with other operators and jurisdictions and discovered similar patterns. The case was escalated to regulators and sports authorities. On Wednesday, the referee was replaced. On Friday, the goalkeeper was changed due to reported injury. The match eventually ended in a draw.

This intervention prevented a potential match-fixing case. The syndicate had planned to place large bets, expecting to profit significantly, but the plan never materialized. This illustrates the importance of proactive intervention. Most cases never become official match-fixing cases because they are stopped early. The key is information sharing. Without coordination, this would have been treated as an isolated issue rather than a global threat.

THOMAS TARANIUK: 100%. It needs to be preventative. You need to spot the signals and react just in time before anything happens. Ludovico, there is so much to talk about on this subject. I want to find out more about how organizations like ULIS are working with companies and government bodies while maintaining the integrity of big events like the World Cup.

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Betting is one of the most heavily monitored and regulated industries in the world. It requires intense KYC checks, or Know Your Customer, and anti-money laundering compliance, but regulation alone does not stop fraud. It requires joined-up thinking, which you are doing. How important is it to manage the risk of fraud across markets and platforms together, in your opinion?

How important is it to manage the risk of fraud across markets and platforms together?

LUDOVICO CALVI: It is extremely important. It is a global challenge and cannot be seen as a local one. The true value of ULIS and our model lies in its ability to aggregate, correlate, and interpret fragmented signals coming from everywhere.

Our mission is also to create a culture of integrity across different stakeholders: public institutions, law enforcement agencies, sports leagues, and regulators. ULIS also trains prosecutors. We have done this in the past through courses. We have trained sports integrity officers within leagues, law enforcement officers, and worked with FIFA, Europol, and Interpol, exchanging information.

We feel it is extremely important that integrity is a priority for all stakeholders involved. By connecting data points across operators and jurisdictions, it becomes possible to identify coordinated fraud networks, detect early signs of manipulation, and support informed escalations and investigations.

The objective is not just to collect data, but to transform it into coordinated cross-border intelligence, and that is what we are doing.

THOMAS TARANIUK: You have touched heavily on the commercial risks and resilience issues that need to be addressed. The World Cup is also a hugely profitable period, but if you let your defenses slip, you risk losing something far more valuable than financial capital—customer trust.

Credibility and integrity are clearly extremely important to you and ULIS. You have the perspective of someone who has worked in the industry for over 30 years. How do companies strengthen onboarding controls and user verification without damaging customer experience or conversion rates?

LUDOVICO CALVI: They need to put safeguarding measures in place, possibly AI-based platforms where you monitor and cluster your customers in real time. While the customer is active, you must continue monitoring their activity.

If you can share information about suspicious patterns versus normal behavior, that becomes very valuable. For example, if a customer has been playing slots or casino games consistently and suddenly deposits a large amount of money and starts betting on a third- or fourth-division league, that should trigger an alert.

You should have systems in place that detect and share such signals. I understand there is tension during major events between commercial pressure and control, but good compliance is good business. Consumers will choose operators where they feel protected.

Even investment funds prefer to invest in gaming organizations with strong compliance and integrity. On one side, there is a strong commercial incentive to maximize engagement and growth during events like the World Cup. On the other, there is a need to maintain robust controls. Having control of your business means being able to govern your success.

These objectives can sometimes conflict. Reducing onboarding friction may improve conversion rates but can also increase exposure. That is why it is essential for product teams and compliance teams to work closely together. It is in their shared interest to ensure the overall value proposition is both secure and commercially strong.

The most mature operators recognize that short-term gains should not come at the expense of long-term resilience. They focus on sustainable success. When organizations enable collaboration between compliance and product teams, they create solutions that benefit everyone.

THOMAS TARANIUK: It is a balance, and treating it like a tug of war will never lead to long-term operational resilience or customer trust.

We are one month away from the World Cup. If you had to prioritize one thing, what should companies focus on right now to prepare for fraud at scale?

What should betting and gaming companies prioritize to prepare for fraud at scale?

LUDOVICO CALVI: They should focus on defining their offering—what markets they want to provide and how they will manage them. They need to plan how bets will be handled throughout the tournament and what alert systems need to be in place.

If they create the conditions for smooth but effective onboarding, and at the same time treat this as an opportunity for coordination between product and compliance teams, they will succeed.

This will be a major event, and revenues are expected to grow again. Having strong control over operations and governance is essential. At the same time, sharing information and maintaining active coordination during the tournament will allow operators to react quickly and effectively.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Hopefully, everything is in place to make this World Cup a success for everyone, not just the players. To finish, we would like to get to know you a bit better. I have five quick-fire questions. Ludovico, are you ready?

Quick-fire round

LUDOVICO CALVI: Yes.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Excellent. If you could ban one risky online behavior, what would it be?

LUDOVICO CALVI: If I see someone placing bets on over and under outcomes simultaneously, I would find that suspicious. It is similar to placing money on both black and red in a casino. It suggests they may be trying to exploit the system in a low-risk way.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Certainly interesting. Have you ever been a victim of fraud yourself?

LUDOVICO CALVI: I have not personally been a victim of fraud, but I have had close friends and family who have been exposed.

THOMAS TARANIUK: That is unfortunate. What is one thing about fraud prevention that people underestimate?

LUDOVICO CALVI: Sharing information is absolutely key. People think it will not happen to them, but it does. That mindset lowers awareness. Today, AI can replicate voices. Decision-makers can be targeted with fraudulent requests that appear legitimate, such as instructions from a CFO that are not actually from them. The sophistication of AI-driven fraud is very high, so vigilance is essential. Never assume it will not happen to you.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Absolutely. And who are you supporting in the World Cup, and who do you think will win?

LUDOVICO CALVI: Since working in the gaming industry, I have never been allowed to support a team. I remember during my first job in the UK at William Hill, during the USA 1994 World Cup final between Brazil and Italy, I was told not to support either team because of betting exposure. It was the first time the final went to penalties after a draw. After that, I was told I could support Italy.

Italy is not in the World Cup this time, unfortunately, which is very sad. I will support the best team. Brazil, with an Italian coach, will be interesting to watch, and I will be following Carlo Ancelotti closely.

THOMAS TARANIUK: Excellent answer. If you could have any other career, what would it be?

LUDOVICO CALVI: That is difficult. I thought I might work in the travel and tourism industry, but that did not happen. I came across an advertisement in the Evening Standard while studying finance in London, and it turned out to be William Hill. I went for an interview and said I knew nothing about sports betting. They gave me a chance, and since 1992, I have never stopped. It has been a remarkable journey. I am very passionate about it and have always tried to create safer gaming environments and protect consumers.

THOMAS TARANIUK: It sounds like you would not change a thing, which is great to hear. Ludovico, thank you very much for joining us on this episode of What The Fraud?

LUDOVICO CALVI: You are most welcome.

THOMAS TARANIUK: If you enjoyed today’s episode, make sure to follow the podcast and leave a review. It helps more people find the show and learn how to avoid the latest scams.

In the next episode, we will look at account takeovers—when someone has your details, password, face, and security answers, and takes over your account before you realize it. How do they get in, why is it not detected, and what can be done.