It’s snow joke – sporting occasions are a giant draw for cybercriminals. Ensure you’re not on the shedding aspect by following these greatest practices.
02 Feb 2026
•
,
5 min. learn
Cybercriminals have all the time been drawn to main sporting occasions. A mixture of worldwide model consciousness and an in depth digital footprint make them a preferred possibility for opportunistic scammers. And occasions don’t get a lot greater or higher recognized than the Olympics.
Cybercriminals have been seeking to capitalize on the Olympics for years – for instance, pretend ticketing websites proliferated method again throughout the Beijing 2008 Summer season Olympics. Since then, even some state-aligned risk actors have gotten concerned, disrupting the Pyeongchang 2018 video games through the use of wiper malware that shut down Wi-Fi hotspots and TV feeds, and crippled the back-end servers of the video games’ official app. Some hacktivists are by no means distant both, spying an ideal alternative to attract consideration to their trigger.
However because the world prepares for Milano-Cortina 2026, what are the most typical threats that it is best to look out for? And how will you keep protected?
What to be careful for
There are numerous threats that sports activities followers ought to look out for within the days main as much as the occasion, and the 16 days of the video games. They embrace:
Phishing makes an attempt
These are unsolicited emails, texts or social media messages impersonating the official organizers of the video games, sponsors or different third events. Sometimes, they may attempt to trick you into getting into your private and monetary info, or clicking on malicious hyperlinks/opening attachments which lead to silent malware set up. Examples embrace:
- Free streaming hyperlinks that result in malware supply or credential theft
- Particular prize attracts and ‘final likelihood provides’ resembling tickets to the video games
- Alerts about cancelled tickets or fee points
Faux Olympics websites
Some e-commerce websites purporting to promote official tickets, journey and lodging might seem like the true deal. However they simply need your cash and/or card particulars. Your buy doesn’t exist. In some instances, scammers may also put pretend listings on real websites and marketplaces, like Airbnb, eBay and Fb Market.
Free and unlawful streaming websites
Some websites provide sports activities followers free entry to video content material from the video games. However these websites may be a hotbed of malware hidden in hyperlinks, plugins and information. They’re additionally filled with video overlay adverts that aren’t typically only a minor inconvenience. As an alternative, many are usually malicious and while you click on on them, you’ll be redirected to a malicious web site or unwittingly obtain malware in your gadget.
Faux apps
Cellular apps masquerading as official Winter Olympics apps may very well comprise infostealing malware or different threats. Such malicious apps are primarily discovered on numerous third-party app shops.
web optimization poisoning
Scammers pay for sponsored adverts or use web optimization strategies to place their malicious web sites on the high of search outcomes. They might set off drive-by-downloads or attempt to receive your private info.
Help scams
For those who complain on social media about a problem along with your flight/lodge/tickets, fraudsters might bounce in posing as ‘official help.’ They don’t actually need to assist, they simply need your private, monetary and reserving info.
Faux employment scams
Look out for bogus alternatives to affix the Olympics as a volunteer or paid employee. These are normally designed to both harvest your private info or trick you into paying an upfront ‘charge’ to course of your particulars.
AI-powered scams
Fraudsters are more and more utilizing AI-powered instruments and providers to extend their probabilities of success. They will generate phishing web sites and messages at scale in flawless native languages. And so they can even create sensible audio and video designed to affect your choice making. Be careful for deepfake movies of well-known athletes searching for to solicit donations for pretend charities or ‘coaching funds.’
QR code phishing
For those who’re on the occasion, look out for quishing makes an attempt. QR codes posted at occasions may very well result in phishing websites and malware downloads. It’s a well-liked tactic that blends bodily and digital threats to steal your fee particulars or private info. It’s notably efficient tactic as a result of it typically doesn’t arouse the identical stage of suspicion amongst folks as, say, phishing URLs. Cellular gadgets are additionally typically much less nicely protected than laptops and desktops, so there’s extra likelihood of success.
Public Wi-Fi
For those who’re out and about on the occasion, beware of pretend and lookalike hotspots designed to seize your private and monetary info.
Staying protected from Winter Olympics scams
To remain protected on-line, stick with the official Winter Olympics websites and don’t interact with unsolicited messages and too-goo-to-be-true offers. Extra particularly:
- Solely purchase tickets from https://tickets.milanocortina2026.org/ or https://hospitality.milanocortina2026.org/. The occasion organizers haven’t approved resale on any third-party ticketing websites.
- Keep on with the official web site, store.olympics.com for merchandise.
- Keep away from pirated streaming providers and solely go to websites hosted by the official broadcasters, together with NBCUniversal (US), BBC (UK), Warner Bros Discovery (Europe).
- By no means belief too-good-to-be-true offers in unsolicited messages.
- Keep away from clicking on hyperlinks or opening attachments in unsolicited messages, even when they seem like from legit Winter Olympics organizers/sponsors.
- Scrutinize listings for crimson flags, even when they’re on legit websites. Take a look at critiques, all the time use the official in-app messaging service and prioritize sellers with “verified” badges or comparable.
- For those who’re going to the occasion, obtain the official Olympics app for schedules, maps, and digital tickets.
- Keep away from public Wi-Fi the place potential, or use a VPN in case you can. If it’s a must to use a hotspot, don’t log in to high-value accounts, resembling your electronic mail or on-line banking.
- Keep away from scanning QR codes on the occasion, or ones that flip up in emails.
- Set up anti-malware in your gadget from a good vendor to mitigate the danger of quishing, smishing and email-based phishing.
- Do not forget that the Olympic video games organizers by no means ask for cash to volunteer or work there. Official volunteering websites might be discovered at https://team26.milanocortina2026.org/ and paid roles might be discovered at https://milanocortina2026.intervieweb.it/en/profession.
The XXV Winter Olympic Video games in Milano-Cortina is ready to be a deal with for sports activities followers around the globe. However digital scammers will even be paying shut consideration. Benefit from the enjoyable, and keep protected.
