2022 World Cup Scams: The 2022 FIFA World Cup kicks off in less than a week and 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 watched the event, with more than a billion tuning in for the final. Similar attention is expected this year as the event takes place in Qatar, especially since it is 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 take advantage of major events, with cybercriminals chasing information, tickets, news and more. 2022 World Cup scams are expected to include SEO poisoning, lottery scams, phishing and even malware, so you need to be prepared and vigilant 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 don’t want to miss out, especially with an event as massive as the World Cup. But tickets are limited and not sold outside of the official FIFA site, so it’s not wise to look elsewhere.
There have already been reports of people contacted by “FIFA officials” about the tickets. These emails and other forms of contact seek to sell fake tickets to eager fans. There is a official resale platform for the tickets. If someone tries to resell your tickets elsewhere, avoid it.
Phishing and Malware: It’s 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 get you to click on links or download and run files, which will compromise your credentials or your device.
SEO Poisoning: Most people intrinsically trust websites, especially those that appear early in the rankings of Google or other search engines. However, scammers use search engine optimization (SEO) to boost the position of malicious websites, filling the 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. Fraudsters then gain access to credentials or compromise a device. A good way to protect yourself from these scams is to check URLs closely before you navigate to a site. You should also avoid using similar passwords on sites in case it’s an attempt to get your login credentials. Also, be wary of social media accounts that direct you to these sites.
Fraudsters often use social media to: Social media is a great meeting place for sports fans. However, it is also common place for 2022 World Cup scams to occur, 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 is another major concern when considering World Cup 2022 scams.
Everyone loves a lottery: Lottery scams are popular because people who may not be able to afford the trip still want to see their favorite team. Lotteries offer a little chance, including flights, hotels and tickets. Perhaps the most dangerous part of these scams is that there are many legitimate lotteries out there, and it can be difficult to tell which is real and which is a scam.
Protect yourself from World Cup 2022 scams: As mentioned above, there are many ways in which fraudsters seek to take advantage of the excitement of the World Cup. The best way to avoid these scams is to stick to official sites and apps and avoid clicking on anything you don’t recognize. You should also follow other common security protocols, such as keeping passwords secure and running regular antivirus checks.
Spencer Hulse is News Editor at Grit Daily News. Covers startup, affiliate, viral and marketing news.
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