The much-anticipated 2022 World Cup finally kicks off this week in Qatar. But security experts are warning soccer and football fans about online scams, fake sites, and other threats to watch out for during the tournament, which runs from November 20 to December 18.

Cybercriminals often clean up during Black Friday and holiday shopping season, but events like the World Cup and Olympics give them even more time to launch elaborate scams. From phishing pages masquerading as legitimate websites to fake ads to fake cryptocurrencies, they are as ready to fool sports fans as Qatar is to host the World Cup this year.

Security researchers from Kaspersky and ESET scoured the web looking for 2022 World Cup scams. Below are some of the most popular scams and tips on how to avoid becoming a victim, but keep in mind that there may be other scams that infect your devices with malware, steal your passwords and take over your online accounts, or withdraw money from your bank account or crypto wallet Keep in mind that there are other scams out there that can infect your device with malware, steal your passwords, take over your online accounts, or withdraw money from your bank account or crypto wallet.

Tickets to the 2022 World Cup can be purchased for as little as $11 for group leagues and $1,600 for the finals. Even though the tournament takes place this month, cybercriminals have already launched a World Cup ticket scam online in June, according to an IRONSCALES blog post (opens in new tab). In this case, the scammers attempted to sell fake tickets via email, but these messages were actually just phishing attempts.

At the same time, a Reddit user reported last month (open in new tab) that people online were trying to sell physical tickets to the games. However, World Cup 2022 only uses digital tickets that can be purchased and resold through FIFA's online platform. Therefore, if someone tries to sell a World Cup ticket online or in person, it is likely to be a fake.

According to an ESET blog post (opens in new tab), cybercriminals also use lottery scams to try to trick soccer fans. The messages used in these scams are intended to trick unsuspecting fans into believing they have won cash prizes, tickets, or hospitality packages to watch the World Cup in person, but in reality they steal personal data and money or install malware on their devices.

Such lottery scams may also ask you to transfer money to claim your winnings. However, instead of winnings, they may actually steal your personal information using the information you provide.

Giveaways are often held in conjunction with major events like the World Cup. According to a Kaspersky blog post (opens in new tab), the company's researchers discovered a phishing page offering the chance to win two tickets to the tournament. Similar to lottery scams, the "lucky" winners often have to pay for the delivery of the tickets, with the fee going into the pockets of the cybercriminals.

Fake FIFA merchandise such as T-shirts, phone cases of popular players, and even autographed balls are another tactic cybercriminals are using to fool soccer fans ahead of the 2022 World Cup. In this case, they obtain your address and other personal information and the money transferred, but nothing in return.

Cryptocurrency scams are nothing new, and Kaspersky researchers have identified a number of scams for this year's World Cup. Some offer fans the chance to win cryptocurrency by betting on the matches, while others offer the chance to win NFTs or non-fiat tokens. The cybercriminals behind these scams force potential victims to enter their crypto wallet credentials to gain access to all their funds and wallet data.

In another cryptocurrency scam related to World Cup 2022, a new token called FIFA Inu was created. After its launch, however, its price rose and then suddenly fell. However, the creator of FIFA Inu has denied allegations that FIFA Inu was actually a scam.

To see the 2022 World Cup matches live, soccer fans must fly to Qatar. After analyzing these pages, Kaspersky researchers discovered that travelers could only select Qatar from a list of destinations. These flight scams collect victims' credit card information as well as passport information.

To avoid becoming a victim of these and other World Cup 2022 scams, be vigilant when checking your inbox or online for messages about the tournament. They should carefully check their emails and messages for spelling, grammatical, and punctuation errors. Kaspersky recommends that you do not click on links in suspicious emails. Instead, we recommend opening a new tab or window and manually typing in the URL.

You should also carefully consider what information World Cup 2022 emails and websites are requesting. Legitimate companies do not ask for personal or financial information, so be very wary of unsolicited messages such as "verify your account details" or "update your account information."

And if you do happen to fall victim to the 2022 World Cup scam, the best identity theft protection will not only help you deal with the scam, but also help you recover your stolen personal information.

Even if you are not planning a trip to Qatar, be careful when streaming World Cup matches online. Fake streaming sites are often used to spread malware and other viruses, so if you want to watch this year's matches online, go directly to the World Cup 2022 live stream hub.