Thousands of fans are expected to attend the World Cup 2026, and many are already handling their travel logistics, purchasing their flights and other transport tickets, booking accommodation, and arranging everything they need to reach the host cities.

As interest grows, so does the number of fraudulent schemes that exploit the fact that fans are actively preparing for their upcoming journey.

In late April 2026, Kaspersky experts detected a campaign exploiting the branding of a well-known transport app, targeting users in Mexico.

The interface of a fake Spanish-language website, impersonating one of the services, prompts users to enter their phone number and password in order to “claim prizes.” In reality, the attackers are mimicking a trusted brand and attempting to steal users’ credentials from those lured by the promise of a reward.

Ticket to nowhere 

Some cybercriminals go “a level lower” and post their offers on the dark web. Kaspersky Digital Footprint Intelligence experts discovered a thread advertising such services, published on a shadow forum in March 2026.

The listings included offers for discounted airline tickets, hotel bookings, and match tickets, allegedly at 20% off the original price.

These offers are designed to lure users and can be highly dangerous, ultimately resulting in victims losing both their money and any services they expected to receive.

Entrepreneurs and property owners also in the crosshairs

Cybercriminals are also targeting businesses and entrepreneurs at the intersection of the travel industry, which is also involved in the event.

Given the high demand for short-term rentals during the tournament, property owners have become an attractive target for scams. For example, a fake website was discovered requesting account credentials for a well-known platform.

In this way, scammers attempt to gain access to property owner accounts, potentially resulting in unauthorised withdrawals and financial losses.

Another common scheme involves fraudsters attempting to extract money from organisations by posing as representatives of well-known airlines and offering fictitious business partnerships.

In these emails, they claim to be launching new projects or business expansion initiatives and state that they are actively seeking suppliers or contractors.

If a company representative responds to such an offer, the scammers typically escalate the deception in a subsequent stage. To enhance credibility, they send forged documents for completion and signature, including supplier registration forms and non-disclosure agreements.

The ultimate objective of the fraudsters in this scheme is to induce the organisation to pay a so-called “deposit,” ostensibly required to secure a priority position in a partner selection list.

According to the claims made in the fraudulent communications, this payment would later be fully refunded once the partnership is formally established.

In reality, this promise is entirely deceptive. The perpetrators simply appropriate the funds, and no reimbursement is ever made to the victim organisation.

“The travel sector, particularly when it intersects with major events, is a persistent target for a wide range of scams and fraudulent schemes. For end users, it is often difficult to distinguish at first sight between a legitimate website and a spoofed one, or between genuine marketing communications from a reputable service and scam emails. We therefore advise treating overly attractive offers with a high degree of caution in order to protect your personal data and financial resources,” says Anna Lazaricheva, senior spam analyst at Kaspersky.

Recommendation:

• Enable multi-factor authentication and monitor accounts: Activate 2FA on IDs and financial apps and regularly review statements for unauthorised activity.

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The game, which will be exclusive to Netflix Games, is being developed and published by Delphi Interactive in partnership with FIFA. It is scheduled to arrive before the tournament kicks off in June next year, targeting fans who want a quick, social way to play rather than a complex console experience. 

The title will run on televisions, with players using their phones as controllers, keeping it within Netflix’s growing casual gaming ecosystem.

This looks like a calculated attempt to anchor Netflix’s gaming vision to an event that already commands global attention. Football is the most-watched sport in the world, and the World Cup offers built-in reach that few entertainment launches can match. 

FIFA itself said the partnership is meant to bring the “emotion and drama of the tournament” into a new interactive format.

This release sits within a gaming framework Netflix outlined earlier this year. In March 2025, the company said it would focus on four areas: story-led narrative games, multiplayer party titles, children’s games, and licensed mainstream properties. 

FIFA, alongside the upcoming James Bond game “007 First Light”, falls squarely into the licensed category, designed to attract audiences who already know the brand.

Despite years of spending and experimentation, Netflix’s games have largely failed to break through in the way its films and series have. Engagement has been low, prompting changes in leadership and a sharper focus on familiar names such as “GTA: San Andreas” and “Red Dead Redemption”.

The company’s vision may soon extend far beyond casual titles. Netflix is currently leading talks to acquire major assets from Warner Bros Discovery in a deal valued at $72 billion, or $82.7 billion including debt. The package includes some of the industry’s most respected studios, behind franchises such as “Mortal Kombat”, “Batman Arkham”, “Hogwarts Legacy” and LEGO games.

While Netflix co-CEO Gregory Peters has said the gaming studios are a “minor component” of the entire transaction, analysts argue their value could be strategic. Ownership of these teams would give Netflix a direct path into big-budget, premium game development, a space it has not yet fully entered.

Alongside this, Netflix has been building out cloud gaming technology and adding controller support, putting it closer to services like Xbox Cloud Gaming and PlayStation Plus. What began as a mobile add-on is gradually evolving into something more ambitious.

The FIFA game and the Warner Bros talks point to the same goal, which is keeping subscribers inside the Netflix ecosystem for longer. Games, unlike films, do not end after two hours.

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