Cybersecurity experts warn ‘scammers are in overdrive’ with FIFA World Cup underway

You may want to buy a World Cup match or some merchandise, but consumers are being urged to be careful when making a purchase. Pat Foran has more.

Now that the FIFA World Cup is underway, excitement will continue to build as the tournament runs for 39 days.

After Canada’s match against Bosnia and Herzegovina, soccer fans may be thinking of purchasing a ticket to attend one of the games or purchasing some FIFA World Cup merchandise.

However, cybersecurity experts are warning consumers to be careful purchasing anything online that has to do with the World Cup.

“Scammers are in overdrive right now. There are a lot of people interested in attending FIFA,” said cybersecurity expert Ritesh Kotak.

When he was purchasing his tickets, Kotak said he was careful buying his seats and used the official FIFA website.

About two hours before Canada’s first game took place at the Toronto Stadium, CTV News visited the FIFA website and found last-minute tickets were available to purchase; however, it took about 28 minutes to find some single tickets.

Standard tickets were selling for over $3,000. However, on FIFA’s Marketplace, most tickets were between $2,000 and $3,000.

Top World Cup scams

According to the Better Business Bureau, the top World Cup scams are fake ticket websites, non-existent hotels, short-term rentals, fraudulent travel websites, merchandise scams, and social media fraud.

“Scammers are either trying to get ahold of personal information for identity theft or to try and get money,” said President and CEO of the South-Central Ontario BBB, Angela Dennis.

It’s also advised to be careful of any texts, emails, or ads you see on social media, appearing to be from FIFA.

It may state you can purchase tickets, get merchandise, or even get a job. However, you should avoid clicking any links you’re not familiar with, as they may be connected to a scam.

Search engines may also have fraudulent websites popping up on the top of their pages.

“Scammers will pay the money for the placements knowing they are going to get even more money from consumers who believe they are on legitimate sites,” said Dennis.

When planning to buy a ticket to any of the FIFA World Cup games, take your time before making the purchase.

As for soccer fans who believe they fell victim to an online ticket scam, Toronto Police Services is urging consumers to report it on their Online Reporting page.