Fraudulent activities are already surfacing around the FIFA World Cup 2026, posing risks to fans and ticket vendors, according to a report. The report by ACI Worldwide revealed that fraudulent orders before the tournament averaged $405, higher than legitimate orders at $270, with transaction values increasing by 1.2%.
The analysis of 24.5 million transactions across 61 live-event merchants serving global fan bases indicated a resurgence of fraud patterns seen in previous tournaments. Fraudsters are focusing on higher-value purchases, and the threat is expected to persist during the early stages of the tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Cybersecurity experts have identified numerous fraudulent activities related to the World Cup. Threat intelligence firm Silent Push discovered over 300 replica ticketing websites, while Check Point Research found nearly 10,000 fraudulent World Cup-related domains registered in April 2026 alone, a significant increase from previous tournaments.
Alternative payment methods (APMs) have proven to be safer, with a much lower attempted fraud rate compared to traditional cards. APM adoption has risen from 7% of transactions in 2022 to 24.8% in 2026, highlighting their effectiveness in combating fraud during major events.
