Alert: FBI Uncovers FIFA World Cup Scams on Fake Websites

Authorities are cautioning the public about fraudulent websites posing as FIFA in anticipation of the 2026 World Cup, aiming to deceive individuals into providing personal and financial details, peddle counterfeit tickets and hospitality packages, and perpetrate various other scams related to the event.

With the global soccer tournament scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, threat actors have established numerous phishing sites.

According to a public service announcement from the FBI, these fake domains mimic the official fifa.com but utilize subtle spelling alterations that are easy for users to overlook, such as fiffa[.]com, and employ different top-level domains (e.g., .org, .xyz, .live, .sale), as well as deceptive employment portals like “jobs-fifa[.]com” or “fifa-hiring[.]com.”

The agency highlights that many of these fraudulent websites gather a wide range of data from visitors, including names, physical and email addresses, phone numbers, and banking/payment information, which could be exploited to establish fake accounts, engage in identity theft, or perpetrate financial fraud.

The magnitude of these schemes is evident in reports from cybersecurity firms Group-IB and Bitdefender, whose researchers have observed malvertising campaigns linked to the World Cup being promoted through Google Search, Facebook ads, Telegram, and WhatsApp.

An extensive operation identified by Group-IB researchers as Ghost Stadium, attributed to a Chinese threat actor, has set up over 300 phishing sites that replicate the authentic FIFA portal to perpetrate premium ticket fraud.

Since February, Bitdefender has observed deceptive activities surrounding the World Cup brand targeting users in the UK, Portugal, Spain, Algeria, the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Germany, and Australia, offering counterfeit merchandise, kits, collectibles, streaming services, and Panini sticker deals.

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Protecting Yourself

As interest in the World Cup grows, cybercriminals are likely to exploit this enthusiasm through various tactics, including setting up fraudulent online platforms to sell counterfeit goods or extract money and personal information.

To mitigate these risks, fans can follow a set of recommendations from the FBI:

• Manually enter fifa.com into the browser
• Avoid clicking on sponsored search ads or utilize an ad blocker
• Verify that the URL ends in .com
• Use bookmarks for official FIFA websites
• Avoid clicking on suspicious links sent via direct messages
• Refrain from sharing sensitive information unless the authenticity of the site is confirmed

Users are encouraged to report any incidents to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) and provide details such as the fraudulent domain used, interaction history, and payment information to enable authorities to take appropriate action against the deceptive portal.