Law Enforcement Warns FIFA World Cup Fans Over Crypto and Ticket Scams

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The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has warned residents about online scams targeting football fans ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, including fake ticket sales, hospitality packages, merchandise offers, streaming access, and betting promotions.

In a public alert, the department said cybercriminals are creating fake FIFA websites and social media advertisements designed to look like legitimate ticketing and checkout pages. These sites may be used to steal login details, personal information, credit card numbers, and direct payments from fans.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department urged fans to go directly to the official FIFA website, rather than clicking sponsored ads, social media posts, text messages, or links shared through messaging platforms. Fans have also been warned to be suspicious of offers that appear unusually cheap or urgent.

The alert said fans should be cautious of sellers requesting payment through cryptocurrency, wire transfers, peer-to-peer payment apps like PayPal or Venmo, or gift cards, as these are difficult to reverse.

The warning follows a separate alert from the FBI Cyber Division, which said threat actors are known to be spoofing FIFA’s website through “typo squatting.” This technique involves creating lookalike domains, such as minor misspellings of FIFA’s official website, to collect personally identifiable information, including names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and banking details. 

The FBI has urged the public to be cautious and said users should expect more fake domains to appear before and during the tournament.

As the most-watched sporting event on the planet and among the most bet-on, experts have warned that the 2026 World Cup could also create fraud risks across betting platforms and digital identity checks as criminals exploit high demand in what could be one of the largest fraud exposure events in digital commerce.