World Cup Fans Targeted by Crypto Scams: Fake Tickets, Fixed Matches, and More!

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Crypto Scammers Hit World Cup Fans as Tournament Gets Underway

TRM Labs discovered that scammers are using four cryptocurrency accounts to defraud fans of the 2026 World Cup. These scams involve phony websites selling tickets and rigged bets on game outcomes, with the events being held across North America.

According to the blockchain intelligence firm, the wallets linked to these activities have only received a total of under $1,700 so far. However, they caution that the number of scams and how often they happen could increase in the future.

How World Cup Demand Fuels Crypto-Based Scams

Big sporting events cause a sudden surge in demand for things like tickets, travel, and souvenirs. Research from ThreatMetrix reveals scammers take advantage of this by setting up fake websites and online stores weeks in advance, then heavily advertising them right before the event.

Research from FIFA and the WTO suggests this tournament may attract 6.5 million fans and boost the world economy by as much as $40.9 billion. This large audience also creates opportunities for scammers to target people.

Security experts raised concerns from the beginning. In May, the FBI cautioned that fraudulent FIFA websites were being created to collect personal information and offer counterfeit tickets. The Better Business Bureau voiced similar warnings.

According to Angela Dennis, head of the Better Business Bureau serving Central Ontario, a surge in demand often creates opportunities for scammers.

Scammers thrive when demand is high and many people are looking for something, because people are more likely to fall for their tricks, whether those come through email, phishing attempts, or text messages. This often leads people to click on fake websites and share personal or financial information with criminals,” Dennis explained.

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Planning to go to the World Cup? Be careful of scams! Fake tickets, websites, and sellers on social media are popping up, trying to trick fans. Remember, if a price looks unbelievably low, it’s probably not legitimate. Detective Constable Cimermancic from our fraud unit recently discussed this with CBC…

— Waterloo Regional Police (@WRPSToday) June 12, 2026

Inside the On-Chain World Cup Scams 

TRM has found that many crypto scams happen on the blockchain, with fake ticketing and rigged sports betting being the most common. These scams often involve websites pretending to be legitimate ticket sellers for popular events, and they request payment in cryptocurrency.

A digital wallet using the Polygon network (POL) earned roughly $1,562, with almost all of that coming on April 1st. Another scam, linked to a Bitcoin (BTC) address, still has its fake website running but hasn’t received any money yet.

Scammers offering “guaranteed wins” demand payment upfront, claiming they have secret information. Recent research traced one such scheme to a Bitcoin wallet which gathered small payments from January to May 2026 before transferring the money to an account held by a third party.

Another option involves cryptocurrency tokens. Specifically, TRM highlighted the $WORLDCUP coin, which is available on LBank. It’s a fan-created token meant to celebrate the World Cup but isn’t officially connected to FIFA. Like many similar meme coins with limited trading volume, those who buy it risk losing money.

To cover their tracks, scammers frequently use “bridges” – cryptocurrency mixing services – to hide where stolen money comes from. TRM Labs has found that around $1.9 billion in funds from scams have been laundered this way.

Another scam involves cryptocurrency tokens. A token named $WORLDCUP is available on the LBank exchange, marketed as a fan tribute but having no connection to FIFA. Investors risk losing money – a common problem with these types of low-value, speculative tokens – if the creators suddenly sell their holdings.

While the sums of money in these instances aren’t large, the way the funds were transferred is typical of scams involving cryptocurrency aimed at everyday consumers, according to the report.

As an analyst, I’ve been tracking how scammers are using bridges – those tools that move crypto between different blockchains – to hide and move their money. It’s proving to be a significant tactic, and so far, we’ve seen around $1.9 billion in funds from scams flow through these bridges, making it much harder to follow the money trail.

As the tournament progresses, TRM anticipates encountering increasingly sophisticated scams, such as attempts to lure people into betting schemes, convincing but fabricated videos of FIFA personalities created using deepfake technology, and deceptive websites pretending to offer live streams.

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2026-06-13 09:22