As the World Cup in Brazil nears, football fans need to be careful when purchasing tickets, shirts or downloading apps online which are not verified by FIFA, as unverified items could infect their devices, internet experts warn.
Two months before the long-awaited event for football fans, cybercriminals are rolling up their sleeves and focusing their attacks. People should therefore be aware of the possible threats, such as scam “sponsors” and “new” gambling websites.
The Internet can be a very dangerous place for fans and large companies says Stuart Fuller, director of commercial operations. As the football community is preparing for the most significant sporting event in the world, scammers are getting ready and waiting for the right moment to take advantage of unsuspecting fans getting caught up in the enthusiasm, he said.
To illustrate the scams already out there, NetNames searched for “Brazil World Cup tickets” online and found thousands of bogus listings offering tickets for the final on July 13. Some of the tickets offered reached the staggering price of £2,370, which is four times Fifa’s official ticket price in the most sought-after category.
Some of the threats include websites selling unofficial shirts just hours after the unveiling of the official England kit. Fans should also be aware of unofficial apps that can be found in the largest app stores, as they can be potentially dangerous and infect devices with viruses or steal personal data.
FIFA is taking all necessary actions to stop unauthorised individuals from selling tickets and wants to make sure that the interests of fans are protected, said Jerome Valcke, secretary-general at FIFA.