{"id":55269,"date":"2026-02-12T10:30:37","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T15:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=55269"},"modified":"2026-02-13T07:29:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T12:29:34","slug":"winter-olympics-scam-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaspersky.com\/blog\/winter-olympics-scam-2026\/55269\/","title":{"rendered":"The Winter Games in Italy: how to avoid the scams"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Olympic Games are more than just a massive celebration of sports; they\u2019re a high-stakes business. Officially, the projected economic impact of the Winter Games\u00a0\u2014 which kicked off on February 6 in Italy\u00a0\u2014 is estimated<\/a> at 5.3 billion euros. A lion\u2019s share of that revenue is expected to come from fans flocking in from around the globe \u2014 with over 2.5 million tourists predicted to visit Italy. Meanwhile, those staying home are tuning in via TV and streaming. According to the platforms, viewership ratings<\/a> are already hitting their highest peaks since 2014.<\/p>\n

But while athletes are grinding for medals and the world is glued to every triumph and heartbreak, a different set of \u201ccompetitors\u201d has entered the arena to capitalize on the hype and the trust of eager fans. Cyberscammers of all stripes have joined an illegal race for the gold, knowing full well that a frenzy is a fraudster\u2019s best friend.<\/p>\n

Kaspersky experts have tracked numerous fraudulent schemes targeting fans during these Winter Games. Here\u2019s how to avoid frustration in the form of fake tickets, non-existent merch, and shady streams, so you can keep your money and personal data safe.<\/p>\n

Tickets to nowhere<\/h1>\n

The most popular scam on this year\u2019s circuit is the sale of non-existent tickets. Usually, there are far fewer seats at the rinks and slopes than there are fans dying to see the main events. In a supply-and-demand crunch, folks scramble for any chance to snag those coveted passes, and that\u2019s when phishing sites \u2014 clones of official vendors \u2014 come to the \u201crescue\u201d. Using these, bad actors fish for fans\u2019 payment details to either resell them on the dark web or drain their accounts immediately.<\/p>\n

\"This<\/a>

This is what a fraudulent site selling fake Olympic tickets looks like<\/p><\/div>\n

Remember: tickets for any Olympic event are sold only through the authorized Olympic platform or its listed partners. Any third-party site or seller outside the official channel is a scammer. We\u2019re putting that play in the penalty box!<\/p>\n

A fake goalie mitt, a counterfeit stick\u2026<\/h1>\n

Dreaming of a Sydney Sweeney\u00a0\u2014 sorry, Sidney Crosby\u00a0\u2014 jersey? Or maybe you want a tracksuit with the official Games logo? Scammers have already set up dozens of fake online stores just for you! To pull off the heist, they use official logos, convincing photos, and padded rave reviews. You pay, and in return, you get\u2026 well, nothing but a transaction alert and your card info stolen.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"A\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tA fake online store for Olympic merchandise\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dl>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Naive\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tNaive shoppers are being lured with gifts: \"free\" mugs and keychains featuring the Olympic mascot\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dl>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"And\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnd a hefty \"discount\" on pins\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dl><\/div>\n

I want my Olympic TV!<\/h1>\n

What if you prefer watching the action from the comfort of your couch rather than trekking from stadium to stadium, but you\u2019re not exactly thrilled about paying for a pricey streaming subscription? Maybe there\u2019s a free stream out there?<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe bogus streaming service warns you right away that you can't watch just like that \u2014 you have to register. But hey, it's free! \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dl>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Another\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnother \"media provider\" fishes for emails to build spam lists or for future phishing...\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dl>
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"...But\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dt>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t...But to watch the \"free\" broadcast, you have to provide your personal data and credit card info\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dd>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/dl><\/div>\n

Sure thing! Five seconds of searching and your screen is flooded with dozens of \u201ccheap\u201d, \u201cexclusive\u201d, or even \u201cfree\u201d live streams. They\u2019ve got everything from figure skating to curling. But there\u2019s a catch: for some reason\u00a0\u2014 even though it\u2019s supposedly free\u00a0\u2014 a pop-up appears asking for your credit card details.<\/p>\n

You type them in and hit \u201cPlay\u201d, but instead of the long-awaited free skate program, you end up on a webcam ad site or somewhere even sketchier. The result: no show for you. At best, you were just used for traffic arbitrage; at worst, they now have access to your bank account. Either way, it\u2019s a major bummer.<\/p>\n

Defensive tactics<\/h1>\n

Scammers have been ripping off sports fans for years, and their payday depends entirely on how well they can mimic official portals. To stay safe, fans should mount a tiered defense: install reliable security software<\/a> to block phishing, and keep a sharp eye on every URL you visit. If something feels even slightly off, never, ever enter your personal or payment info.<\/p>\n