It’s snow joke – sporting occasions are an enormous draw for cybercriminals. Ensure you’re not on the shedding aspect by following these greatest practices.
02 Feb 2026
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5 min. learn
Cybercriminals have all the time been drawn to main sporting occasions. A mix of world model consciousness and an intensive digital footprint make them a well-liked choice for opportunistic scammers. And occasions don’t get a lot greater or higher identified than the Olympics.
Cybercriminals have been trying to capitalize on the Olympics for years – for instance, pretend ticketing websites proliferated approach again through the Beijing 2008 Summer time Olympics. Since then, even some state-aligned risk actors have gotten concerned, disrupting the Pyeongchang 2018 video games by utilizing 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 far-off both, spying an ideal alternative to attract consideration to their trigger.
However because the world prepares for Milano-Cortina 2026, what are the commonest threats that it’s 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 embody:
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. Usually, they’ll attempt to trick you into coming into your private and monetary info, or clicking on malicious hyperlinks/opening attachments which lead to silent malware set up. Examples embody:
- Free streaming hyperlinks that result in malware supply or credential theft
- Particular prize attracts and ‘final likelihood presents’ similar to tickets to the video games
- Alerts about cancelled tickets or fee points
Pretend Olympics websites
Some e-commerce websites purporting to promote official tickets, journey and lodging might appear 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 supply sports activities followers free entry to video content material from the video games. However these websites is also a hotbed of malware hidden in hyperlinks, plugins and information. They’re additionally stuffed with video overlay advertisements that aren’t usually only a minor inconvenience. As an alternative, many are usually malicious and once you click on on them, you’ll be redirected to a malicious web site or unwittingly obtain malware in your machine.
Pretend apps
Cellular apps masquerading as official Winter Olympics apps may very well include infostealing malware or different threats. Such malicious apps are primarily discovered on varied third-party app shops.
search engine optimisation poisoning
Scammers pay for sponsored advertisements or use search engine optimisation strategies to place their malicious web sites on the high of search outcomes. They might set off drive-by-downloads or attempt to acquire your private info.
Assist scams
Should you complain on social media about a problem together with your flight/resort/tickets, fraudsters might leap in posing as ‘official help.’ They don’t actually need to assist, they simply need your private, monetary and reserving info.
Pretend 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 companies to extend their possibilities of success. They’ll generate phishing web sites and messages at scale in flawless native languages. They usually also can create reasonable audio and video designed to affect your determination making. Be careful for deepfake movies of well-known athletes looking for to solicit donations for pretend charities or ‘coaching funds.’
QR code phishing
Should you’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 popular 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 usually doesn’t arouse the identical degree of suspicion amongst individuals as, say, phishing URLs. Cellular gadgets are additionally usually much less properly protected than laptops and desktops, so there’s extra likelihood of success.
Public Wi-Fi
Should you’re out and about on the occasion, beware of faux and lookalike hotspots designed to seize your private and monetary info.
Staying protected from Winter Olympics scams
To remain protected on-line, persist with the official Winter Olympics websites and don’t have interaction 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.
- Persist with the official web site, store.olympics.com for merchandise.
- Keep away from pirated streaming companies 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 look like from professional Winter Olympics organizers/sponsors.
- Scrutinize listings for crimson flags, even when they’re on professional websites. Try opinions, all the time use the official in-app messaging service and prioritize sellers with “verified” badges or related.
- Should you’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 for those who can. If it’s important to use a hotspot, don’t log in to high-value accounts, similar to 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 machine from a good vendor to mitigate the chance of quishing, smishing and email-based phishing.
- Keep in mind that the Olympic video games organizers by no means ask for cash to volunteer or work there. Official volunteering websites could be discovered at https://team26.milanocortina2026.org/ and paid roles could 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 may even be paying shut consideration. Benefit from the enjoyable, and keep protected.
