Games can also be a chance for scammers to pull off various types of cyber fraud. According to Kaspersky, some of the main scams hitting fans at the moment revolve around fake tickets, counterfeit merchandise, and bogus streaming access.
Fake ticket schemes rank among the most damaging scams hitting sports fans. With sports venues drawing huge crowds, attackers push bogus “tickets” through phishing sites that mimic official sellers to harvest payment info. Attackers launch multiple counterfeit online shops that may use official logos, post convincing photos, and fabricate glowing reviews to appear legitimate.
While global competitions bring together people from different countries for the ultimate sports festival, they also draw fraudsters eager to cash in on the hype. Whether through phony ticket portals, imitation merchandise sites, or bogus streaming links, these schemes are designed to look completely genuine.
The best defense for sports fans is to pause, double-check every source, and stick strictly to official, trusted channels before entering any personal or payment information,” notes Anton Yatsenko, web content expert at Kaspersky.
Here are the key ways to protect yourself during sports competitions:
- Purchase tickets exclusively from official channels. Skip any third-party sellers and always confirm via the official competition website.
- Stick to legitimate streaming services and trusted broadcasters. Verify HTTPS security, check reviews and never submit payment info on unverified or pop-up sites.
- Be cautious with merchandise vendors; avoid deals on “exclusive” or heavily discounted competition-branded items from unknown shops—they often deliver fakes, nothing at all or steal your details. Buy only from confirmed official stores or partner retailers.
- Don’t click on unsolicited emails, social media posts, texts, or ads offering free tickets, cheap streams, special giveaways, or “urgent” competition updates.
