Don’t get taken in by event ticket scams

Cyber-criminals love big-ticket, high-demand events, whether it be between national soccer teams or a Taylor Swift concert. When people think this is their chance to have a once-in-a-lifetime experience, their decision-making is freighted with emotion and urgency—a perfect set-up for online fraud. 

Especially in the final days before a seemingly sold-out event, fraudsters will create fake ticket sales sites, send spoofed ads by email and post fake contests for tickets on social media. They may offer fake travel packages or short-term accommodations that don’t even exist. It may all look very professional and on the level, until you realize what they’ve sold you won’t get you through the gate.

“As excitement builds around FIFA World Cup 2026™, it’s important to stay vigilant,” says Dave Coffey with the Toronto Police Service’s financial crimes unit. “The Toronto Police Service is reminding the public to take the time to verify who you’re dealing with, use trusted platforms, and be cautious on any offer that pressures you to act quickly.”

The warning signs consumers overlook

With the help of artificial intelligence (AI), scammers are able to generate sophisticated sites and emails almost instantaneously (and cause them to disappear just as quickly). How can you spot them? Here are some clues:

The URL or domain name of the website you’re pointed to has nothing to do with the event or its sponsor. Before clicking on a link, hover over it with your cursor until the URL appears. Does it look genuine to you? If you receive an email, check the domain name following the @ symbol.

The site or email offers no customer service contact information or a physical address.

There is urgency to the offer, with a countdown clock or number of seats left—always just a few!—showcased on the site.

A deeply discounted price or offer of “exclusive access.”

Ticket sellers or sites with unusual payment methods such as e-transfer or wire transfer.

Suspect seller or site reviews or manipulated validation from social media.

How to buy event tickets safely online

Here are the ways to increase the chances the ticket you buy is the genuine article:

Use only official ticket sites and verified resale channels. World Cup ticketing, for example, is being offered through event partners Visa and (in Canada) Canada Soccer. FIFA also has an official resale site. Everywhere else, you are taking your chances.

Safe sites for any kind of online shopping have “https://” in the URL. Web addresses with https:// and the lock icon indicate extra measures were taken to help secure your information.

Use your credit card. It will have stronger fraud protection than e-transfer or other payment methods. A debit card may enable fraudsters to link back to your bank account.

Don’t click on any link without checking the URL first. Does it look legit, or is it a random jumble of letters and numbers?

What to do if you’ve been scammed

Step one whenever you smell something fishy about something you’ve ordered online is to contact your credit card issuer and attempt to cancel the transaction. Next, monitor your credit card account for suspicious charges. Check your credit reports with Canada’s two credit reporting agencies, Equifax and TransUnion.

Finally, contact the Canadian Anti-fraud Centre and local police. To effectively fight fraud, law enforcement needs to know about scams when they are happening, not weeks later.

Reassurance for your life online

For an extra layer of security against AI-enabled scams and other forms of fraud, consider subscribing to Equifax Complete Protection. This digital service, starting at $34.95 per month, monitors changes in your Equifax credit report, manages your passwords, protects devices, deploys a VPN for data encryption, helps restore your identity in case of identity theft, and more.

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About Michael McCullough

Michael is a financial writer and editor in Duncan, B.C. He’s a former managing editor of Canadian Business and editorial director of Canada Wide Media. He also writes for The Globe and Mail and BCBusiness.