As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, millions of fans are preparing to enjoy ‘the beautiful game’ in its ultimate form. With 104 matches to be played in 16 different cities across 3 countries, this will be the biggest edition of the World Cup to date.

Millions of tickets have reportedly been sold so far worldwide. While for most people this is an occasion to enjoy sports and international travel, the experience of cheering on your national team in a crowded stadium might come at a cost even greater than money.

The uncomfortable truth is that major international sporting events like the World Cup are easy targets for criminals looking to exploit a combination of increased spending, high volume of transactions, and reduced caution.

Adding to the issue, financial crime is expanding rapidly as AI increases the scale and rapid evolution of tactics. In my experience, the best way to counter new AI-powered threats is with an equally organized and layered defense, turning the table on scammers by using AI tools for financial crime prevention.

But what are the true dangers hiding behind purchasing a gameday ticket online, booking a hotel, or simply buying a souvenir on the concourse? This article aims to bring these risks to the surface.

The goal is not to scare, but to educate. Preparation and prevention are possible, and financial institutions have a key role to play: together, we will explore how they can identify threats to act swiftly and protect their customers.

Understanding the red flags

It should come as no surprise that the range of potential scams revolving around the World Cup is as vast and varied as the event itself. However, there are a couple of helpful distinctions we can use as a starting point.

The World Cup scenario presents risks of both authorized and unauthorized frauds.

‘Authorized frauds’ are various forms of scams where customers are manipulated into voluntarily making payments or sending money. With criminals pretending to be legitimate institutions or retailers, these scams take advantage of financial organizations that are not monitoring these kinds of risks, or lack the necessary safeguards.

‘Unauthorized frauds’ are connected to theft of information and credentials, resulting in payments made without the customers’ knowledge or consent. Although it is possible to separate these two types of fraud, financial institutions should always remember that criminal organizations often operate across both simultaneously when considering prevention and intervention.

More specifically related to the travel associated with attending the competition, even more so with this World Cup spread across the US, Canada and Mexico, is the geographical risk distinction.

Financial institutions outside of host cities should watch out mostly for out-of-pattern online payments behavior, while banks in host cities should closely monitor in-person transactions such as cash withdrawals, transport, and accommodation expenses.

Protecting the fans’ journey

Make no mistake: customers themselves are the first line of defense against financial crime. It is their responsibility to pay attention, question things, and ensure they have basic security measures in place. However, they should also be able to confidently rely on their bank of choice to add layers of protection designed to match the strength of the attacks.

Customer trust is essential for financial security and financial institutions across the globe have the opportunity to show they are worthy of it by shielding fans from the types of scams most likely to target them at the World Cup. Ticket resale scams are one of the primary areas of risk, as ticket scalpers have digitally upgraded their methods.

Indicators for banks that something is not right about these kinds of transactions include unusual pass-through behavior, multiple P2P payments to different recipients in a short amount of time, and payments to previously unknown recipients.

Travel booking and accommodation also pose a risk, particularly because the competition spread across different cities and countries.

Financial institutions can watch out for several elements to spot fraud attempts, such as a sudden increase in outbound payments without matching merchant activity, clusters of transactions inconsistent with previous purchases, and multiple travel charges presented as rebooking fees, or multiple changes to travel and accommodation arrangements.

Financial safety is human safety

So far we’ve looked at the damage that scammers can do to fans’ wallets. But much darker risks hide behind a fraudulent transaction or a stolen credit card number. Financial crimes, such as human trafficking, are often connected to major sports events like the World Cup, and banks’ customers might inadvertently get caught in these operations.

Criminal networks use scams not only to steal money, but also to move funds quickly across accounts. They may also recruit individuals into activities such as money mule schemes, with unknowing victims transferring illicit funds. In more severe cases, financial patterns tied to travel, lodging, and payments can signal human trafficking operations.

Sex trafficking is one of the main hidden dangers to watch out for with the World Cup, and banks can identify and flag multiple indicators. High transaction volumes during off-peak hours, increased activity on cards predominantly among male card holders, and double-charge patterns from businesses traditionally associated with adult entertainment are clear signals of operations potentially linked to sexual exploitation.

Another sensible area of attention for an event likely to create a large number of short-term jobs, is the high risk of labor trafficking. Financial institutions should watch for unusual activity involving cash and personal checks, multiple workers linked to the same phone or address and rapid withdrawals following a cash or check deposit.

Guidance for good

The convergence of financial fraud and human exploitation highlights the need for a more integrated approach to detection and prevention.

The “Human Trafficking & Scam Detection Guide: World Cup 2026” provides helpful guidelines to financial institutions on how to protect people and monetary transactions, supporting real-time detection and investigations to disrupt criminal networks.

The landscape of risks and potential scams goes well beyond what we’ve seen so far, largely due to the increased digitalization of criminal activity. Generative AI is a powerful tool in the hands of fraudsters, but while they ‘work’ in an organized manner, many organizations still follow a siloed approach that makes it harder to detect coordinated criminal activity.

AI can be a force for good in financial crime prevention, as we’ve seen in human rights and freedom protection as well. The skills, knowledge, and technology are there: we just need to learn how to hone them.

We've featured the best encryption software.

This article was produced as part of TechRadar Pro Perspectives, our channel to feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry today.

The views expressed here are those of the author and are not necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in contributing find out more here: https://www.techradar.com/pro/perspectives-how-to-submit