US and Canada warn of FIFA World Cup ticket scams via fake websites

Authorities in the United States and Canada have issued warnings about fraudulent websites that mimic the official FIFA ticketing platform for the 2026 World Cup. Sites such as ww-fifa.com, fifa.fund, 26-fifa.com and variations of SeatGeek (e.g., seatgaekes.com) copy FIFA branding and the tournament logo, but direct users to bogus login and checkout pages that collect payment details. The FBI, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canadian Anti‑Fraud Centre say the scams have resulted in at least 24 reported victims losing more than $43,000, with 32 fraud reports filed since January. Most scams occur on social‑media and marketplace apps and involve counterfeit tickets, fake merchandise, misleading immigration services and false prize offers. Prices shown on the fake sites are far below official rates, with some tickets listed for as little as $153 for a Canada‑vs‑Qatar match in Vancouver, compared with the legitimate minimum of $770 on FIFA’s own site. Officials advise fans to purchase tickets only through the official FIFA website (fifa.com/tickets) and to be wary of deals that seem unusually cheap.

The Canadian Anti‑Fraud Centre emphasizes that reporting fraud helps authorities identify trends and prevent further victimisation, while the Vancouver Police Department notes that many buyers discover the tickets are fake only when they are scanned at the stadium.