World Cup 2022 Scams Are Increasing as the Event Approaches

World Cup 2022 scams: The FIFA World Cup 2022 begins in less than a week, and it will have more eyes on it than any other sporting event in the world. When it took place in Russia in 2018, around 3.6 billion people followed the event, with over a billion tuning in for the finals. Similar attention is expected this year as the event takes place in Qatar, especially with it being the first time the tournament has been held in the Middle East. However, the popularity of the event is precisely why there will be so many World Cup 2022 scams.

Scams are common with major events: There are always people looking to take advantage of big events, with cybercriminals going after information, tickets, news, and more. World Cup 2022 scams are expected to include SEO poisoning, lottery scams, phishing, and even malware, so you need to be prepared and on the lookout as the event approaches.

Ticket scams are common: Ticket scams are not unique to the World Cup. In fact, many events, including concerts and festivals, experience these scams. The reason they are so successful is that people do not want to miss out, particularly with an event as massive as the World Cup. But the tickets are limited, and they are not sold outside of the official FIFA site, so looking elsewhere is unwise.

• There have already been reports of people being contacted by “FIFA officials” about tickets. These emails and other forms of contact are looking to sell fake tickets to eager fans.
• There is an official resale platform for tickets. If someone tries to resell their tickets elsewhere, avoid it.

Phishing and malware: It is always good practice to avoid downloading anything or clicking on links unless you trust the source. The same can be said when it comes to World Cup ads and emails. These scams aim to have you click links or download and run files, which will compromise your credentials or device.

SEO poisoning: Most people inherently trust websites, especially those listed early in the rankings on Google or other search engines. However, scammers use search engine optimization (SEO) to increase the position of malicious websites, filling results with potential World Cup 2022 scams.

• SEO poisoning and malicious sites often have the same goal as phishing and malware, which is to get people to click or download something. Then, the scammers gain access to credentials or compromise a device.
• A good way to protect yourself from these scams is to check the URLs closely before navigating to a site. You should also avoid using similar passwords on sites in case it is an attempt to gain your login credentials. Also, be careful of social media accounts directing you to these sites.

Social media is often used by scammers: Social media is a huge gathering place for fans of the sport. However, it is also a common place for World Cup 2022 scams to take place, especially with more and more people using social media to get their news and information.

• Expect to see misinformation and direct links to malicious sites. Social media is also commonly used to promote lottery scams, which are another major concern when considering World Cup 2022 scams.

Everyone loves a lottery: Lottery scams are popular because people who might not be able to afford the trip still want to see their favorite team. Lotteries offer a slim chance at that, including flights, hotels, and tickets. Perhaps the most dangerous part of these scams is that there are plenty of legitimate lotteries, and it can be difficult to know which is real and which is a scam.

Protect yourself from World Cup 2022 scams: As mentioned above, there are many ways scammers are looking to take advantage of the excitement of the World Cup. The best way to avoid such scams is to stick to official sites and apps and avoid clicking anything you do not recognize. You should also follow other common safety protocols, such as keeping strong passwords and running regular antivirus checks.