Crypto Scammers Exploit World Cup Ticket Demand, TRM Labs Warns

The 2026 FIFA World Cup, co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico, will expand to 48 teams and 104 matches. The resulting surge in cross-border ticket demand has also become a lure for cryptocurrency scams. TRM Labs said fraudulent ticketing pages, betting schemes and token promotions are collecting payments from fans in multiple countries by exploiting the difficulty of reversing on-chain transfers.

In its latest warning, TRM Labs said scammers are capitalizing on demand for 2026 World Cup tickets by creating fake ticketing websites and directing traffic through cryptocurrency betting and promotional campaigns. FIFA and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have also issued warnings. The cases involve multiple cryptocurrency wallet addresses, but publicly available information does not specify the total amount involved, the number of wallets or the date the warning was issued.