Fake, altered, or duplicated World Cup tickets
As the FIFA World Cup approached, Missouri's attorney general warned fans about fake, altered, or duplicated digital tickets, as well as shaky hotel and parking offers. Buy through official or trusted platforms and make sure a ticket can be transferred in the official system.
How it works
Scammers try to sell tickets that are fake, changed, or copied from a real ticket. They may also push unofficial hotel or rental listings and parking offers around game cities. A listing can look real and offer a price that feels like a deal. If you pay outside official channels, you may arrive to find the ticket will not scan or the stay does not exist. Missouri's attorney general advised using official ticketing systems, booking stays on official or well-known platforms, and paying with a credit card, which often has better fraud protection than cash, a debit card, or a payment app.
Red flags
- The seller cannot transfer the ticket through the official ticketing system.
- The price is far below what similar official tickets cost.
- You are asked to pay by cash, wire, or a payment app, or to share bank details by email.
- The site or email is not an official FIFA or trusted ticket platform.
What to do
- Buy tickets only through official or trusted platforms that can transfer them in the official system.
- Use a credit card, and avoid cash, wires, or peer-to-peer apps for tickets or lodging.
- For stays, book through official hotel sites or well-known platforms, and check for complaints first.
- Report a suspected ticket or travel scam to the seller's platform, at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and at ic3.gov.
Where to report it
- reportfraud.ftc.gov — the FTC's report form.
- ic3.gov — the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.