The first match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the U.S. — when the United States takes on Paraguay at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood — is coming Friday. Soccer fans are psyched, and scammers aim to profit from that, L.A. sheriff’s officials say.
Cyberscammers are zeroing in on the heightened emotions people are feeling surrounding the World Cup, said Sgt. Peter Hish of the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department Fraud and Cyber Crimes Bureau.
“They know we’re excited [because] what’s bigger in Los Angeles than soccer?” Hish said.
“Scammers are not selling tickets,” noted Det. Anthony Moore of the bureau. “They’re selling urgency, that emotion and fear of missing out.”
The Sheriff’s Department, at a news conference Wednesday, said that California is the No. 1 state in the U.S. for online fraud, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime 2025 report. In 2025, more than 116,000 complaints of online scams in California were filed to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center, according to the report.
The World Cup gives scammers new ways of targeting consumers. Here’s more on the scams and tips to help you protect yourself.
What online scammers are looking to steal
The FBI issued a warning last month that cybercriminals are manipulating or reproducing the official FIFA World Cup website to scam fans who are looking for tickets, hospitality packages, merchandise, streaming access and betting opportunities.
These websites closely resemble legitimate ticketing and checkout platforms and can allow scammers to steal log-in credentials, personal information and credit card numbers and trick you into sending in payments.
What World Cup-related scams look like
Copycat World Cup websites look very similar to the official FIFA website.
Previous best practices for identifying a fake website included looking at the text for misspellings or logos that look real but aren’t the right size, shape or color, but officials at Wednesday’s news conference said that’s no longer enough.
Any bad actor can digitally replicate a logo or an entire website, Hish said.
“Not only that,” he said, “we know for these particular websites they’re pulling from actual World Cup or FIFA imagery to make their websites look real.”
Checkout sites from a fraudulent website will often ask for payment in the form of cryptocurrency, peer-to-peer payment systems or cash apps.
FIFA never accepts these forms of payment; it asks for payment by Visa credit card.
A timer on a fake checkout site can add pressure as the scammer tries to rush you and keep you from checking the site too closely.
The timer could include a message that says, “You’ve got five minutes to complete this sale,” or “Enter your credit card now or the price will go up,” Moore said.
Don’t fall for it.
Ticket reseller and prize scams can land in your email inbox or messaging apps like Telegram.
These messages are almost always accompanied by a link that will lead you directly to a fraudulent website or checkout page. Don’t click on any link or respond to any message.
Avoid using a resell or alternative ticketing site that you’re unfamiliar with as it could be a scam.
FIFA has its own marketplace within its official website where fans can purchase resale tickets.
“If you’re getting tickets anywhere else,” Moore said, “buyer beware. That ticket you pay for may be the most expensive ticket you ever pay for that won’t get you in the gate.”
Fraudulent FIFA job offers and interviews have sprung up on the internet in the months leading up to the World Cup because many people have looked for jobs at these events, officials said.
This elaborate scam includes setting up a time for an interview and then being asked for personal information such as a copy of your W-2 or your Social Security number.
How to avoid World Cup-related scams
The official guidance from the Sheriff’s Department is to go directly to the official FIFA website, fifa.com.
Before you visit a website or make any purchase, here are the five steps Hish and Moore said you should be taking:
- Type the official website address into the web browser. Avoid typing it into Google search, which could provide you with options that are fraudulent. Avoid clicking on links from ads, comments, direct messages and forwarded texts.
- Check the website domain. Make sure it is exact. Look out for hyphens, added words and odd endings.
- Do not rush because you’re afraid you’ll miss out. Countdowns, warnings of limited seats and other urgent language are common pressure tactics among scammers.
- Never reuse passwords. If you entered credentials on a suspected scam page, change them; do so by first clearing your cache and opening a new web browser.
- Contact your bank quickly if you suspect you’ve entered personal banking information into a fraudulent website. Take the steps to freeze or replace the card and dispute suspicious charges.
If you’re a victim of a scam or stumble upon a suspicious website, ad or offer, take a screenshot of the web page, take down the URL and payment details, if applicable, and notify your local law enforcement agency as well as the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
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