The FBI is warning soccer fans to watch out for fake websites "spoofing" FIFA websites ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted in Houston and several other North American cities in June and July.
The FBI issued a public service announcement Thursday to warn the public about the potential cyber threat posed by the fake websites, many of which contain the word "FIFA" in their URL. A full list of known fake websites can be found on theFBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center. However, the FBI warns that more fraudulent URLs likely exist.
"Threat actors often create spoofed websites by slightly altering characteristics of legitimate website domains, with the purpose of gathering personally identifiable information entered by a user into the site, including name, home address, phone number, email address, and banking information," the FBI said in its announcement.
These sites often obtain personal information by offering fake World Cup tickets and/or other World Cup-related hospitality services, according to the FBI.
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"Spoofed websites may mimic the legitimate URL by using a minor misspelling, such as fifa[.]com, or alternative top-level domains, such as .org rather than .com," the FBI said. "This form of cyberattack — called typo squatting — relies on internet users making mistakes, such as common typos, when visiting a URL."
To avoid fake FIFA websites, the FBI recommends ensuring the typing of the URL "fifa.com" and avoiding links labeled as "sponsored" by search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo.
Spoofed websites can be reported via theFBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.
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To ensure the validity of tickets, it is recommended to buy them directly from FIFA's website.
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