20 days before the start of the 2026 World Cupthe authorities of Mexico warned about the increase in fraud related to the sale of fake tickets, for which the Secretary of Security, Pablo Hernández González, reported that the Cyber Police detected an increase in attempts to scam through social networks.
According to what was stated by the official of Guadalajarahalf of the reports of fraud online identified by the Mexican authorities originate in Facebookwhile about 20% come from fraudulent websites and around 10% are done through Instagram or WhatsApp, even with fake QR codes.
“With the cyber patrols of the Cyber Police we have detected that, with the increase in the supply of products related to the Worldfraud attempts also increased Internet“said Hernández, who indicated that the main deceptions are linked to the sale of tickets for matches in Mexican territory.
Likewise, according to the authorities of Montereythe modus operandi consists of disseminating paid advertisements on social networks where the products are offered. last accessesspecial promotions or discounts of almost 50%. Users are subsequently contacted by scammers requesting bank deposits or personal data.
How to identify fake portals?
Faced with this scenario, the Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection (SSPC), in coordination with the Cyber Police of the Mexico Cityissued an alert about the increase in fraudulent sites designed to scam fans seeking to purchase tickets for the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in North America.
According to the SSPC, the scams are carried out through the cloning of the institutional image of the organizers, using logosfonts and official colors to create fake portals that are promoted through paid ads on social networks (Facebook and Instagram), emails massive and text messages.
Therefore, the main tactic of these platforms is to generate a false sense of urgency through digital counters and limited availability notices, with the aim of press Internet users to enter personal and banking information without first verifying the authenticity of the site or its link to the World Cup.
Given the circumstances, for the moment the authorities have identified five pages that impersonate to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) with the excuse of offering tickets and obtaining sensitive information from the victims, such as bank details or even money: fifa26.shop, 26-fifa.com, fifa.sitefifa.store and fifa.shop.
Reporting channels and preventive measures
- The unique Authorized way to purchase tickets is the official web portal: fifa.com/tickets
- The authorities recommend distrusting offers with prices unusually low.
- One has to decline promotions disseminated through direct messages on social networks.
- Avoid making bank transfers or direct deposits to bank accounts. individuals.
- Do not share passwords or verification codes with anyone.
- Keep active notifications bank accounts to detect unrecognized charges.