AI is making 2026 World Cup scams harder to spot

In short: Scammers are using AI to make World Cup ticket and travel scams look more real, so it is getting harder for fans to tell what is legitimate.

What's going on

Criminals are targeting fans ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The tournament is bigger than usual, with 104 matches in 16 cities, and FIFA expects more than 6 million fans to attend.

Security researchers say scammers are taking advantage of demand for tickets and travel help. TrendAI’s Tarek Jammoul said more than 13,000 FIFA-themed internet domains were registered between January and May 2026. By early May, about one in 41 had already been flagged as suspicious or harmful.

The types of scams are familiar, like fake ticket sites, fake visa or immigration services, and misleading accommodation offers. Researchers at Group-IB reported more than 4,300 fraudulent domains that impersonate FIFA’s official web presence.

What is changing is how polished the scams look. Experts say AI helps scammers write convincing emails and build realistic websites quickly, like using a template that can be copied and customized thousands of times. Some scams also use deepfakes, which are fake videos or audio that mimic real people.

What to watch

Experts warn that old clues, like spelling mistakes or odd email addresses, are not as reliable anymore. Kristopher Russo at Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 also warned about QR code scams, where attackers place a bad QR code over a real one in public places. Companies and platforms say they are sharing signals with cybersecurity firms and law enforcement to take down scam networks, but fans may still face a steady stream of convincing fakes as the tournament gets closer.

Source: Wired