The World Cup Ticketing Scam

If you're one of the estimated 3 million football/soccer fans looking to buy tickets to this year’s FIFA World Cup, beware of fake emails like the one below. There have been reports of people receiving email messages claiming to be from FIFA, the organization responsible for the World Cup, offering tickets for sale. In reality, these messages are phishing attempts.

Phishing emails are a common tool used by cybercriminals to gain access to your user credentials, bank account numbers, and other sensitive data. And as the World Cup nears, hackers will increase their attacks to take advantage of fans desperate to find tickets.

What Is Phishing?

Phishing is a type of online scam where criminals send emails masquerading as a reputable company to trick people into giving them personal details and financial information. This information is then used to commit fraud or credential theft. Phishing attempts often increase during major events like the World Cup, when scammers know that people are more likely to be distracted and less likely to be skeptical of emails they receive.
If you receive an email that looks like it's from a company you know, but you're not expecting, be wary. Don't click on any links or attachments, and don't reply with any personal information. If you're unsure whether an email is legitimate, contact the company directly using a phone number or email address you know to be real.

How To Protect Yourself

The best way to protect yourself from these attacks starts with awareness. Now that you know that there are bad guys trying to take advantage of World Cup fans, pay extra attention to the FIFA-related emails and websites. Don’t click on any links or attachments unless you are absolutely sure they are safe. When visiting a website, look for signs that it may be fake, such as misspellings or an unusual website address (also known as domains or URLs). You can also check reviews of the site before visiting it.

Here are a few additional tips to follow to safeguard your sensitive information:

• Be aware of fake ticketing websites and only purchase tickets from official sources
• Be cautious of emails and text messages that claim to be from official organizations like FIFA or your local team
• Don't click on any links or attachments unless you're sure they're legitimate
• Be on the lookout for fake social media accounts and beware of any friend requests from people you don't know. Don't click on any links or give out personal information to these types of accounts.
• Keep your antivirus and anti-malware software up to date and run regular scans on your devices. This will help protect you from malicious software that could be used to steal your personal information or infect your devices with malware.
• Use strong passwords for all your online accounts and make sure to never reuse passwords across different sites. If multi-factor authentication (MFA) is an option, use it!

By taking these precautions, you can help ensure that you do not fall victim to a phishing attack during the World Cup.

We invite you to download our new report "The Business Cost of Phishing", where you can discover the true cost of phishing on organizations as well as what IT and Security professionals believe is coming next.  You can get the report at https://secure.ironscales.com/the-business-cost-of-phishing/report-download