Not Just You, Cyber Criminals Are Also Excited About FIFA World Cup: Here Is How To Stay Away From Scams

The men's World Cup kicks off on November 20th in Qatar. Football is the most popular sport in the world with over 3.5 billion fans. It's also one of the biggest sporting events of at least the last four years. Fraudsters and cyber criminals try to capitalize on the excitement.

Cybercriminals are using phishing to trick football fans into clicking on malicious links. They are also trying to steal personal information. It's important to remain vigilant and think twice before clicking links or giving out personal or banking information in the case of a phisher.

Ticket fraud is when someone advertises tickets for sale and collects the payment and then disappears without the buyer receiving the ticket.

The World Cup is a prime target for this type of scam. Make sure you're using a legitimate, reputable ticket broker. Don't use sites that don't accept debit or credit cards and only accept payment in the form of bitcoin or wire transfers.

Be sure that you're using a legitimate streaming service to watch the World Cup. Illegal streaming sites usually contain deceptive ads and malware. The FIFA site itself is also a good source of information.

The 2022 World Cup is expected to drive an increase in activity in sports betting. Online betting scams often start when users are directed to or search for a fraudulent gambling site. Users should be wary of sites that look hastily put together or are riddled with errors. Read the fine print on incentives or bonuses. If something sounds too good to be true, it's best to double check.

Using a free public Wi-Fi connection is risky. User data on these networks is unprotected, which makes it vulnerable to cyber criminals. If you're traveling to Qatar for a match or watching the match with friends at your favorite pub, make sure you use a trusted VPN connection.

This World Cup, cyber criminals are excited about the tournament. Cyber criminals should be careful and avoid scams.