Watch out for Winter Olympics scams and different cyberthreats

It’s snow joke – sporting occasions are an enormous draw for cybercriminals. Be sure you’re not on the dropping aspect by following these greatest practices.

02 Feb 2026
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5 min. learn

Cybercriminals have at all times 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 larger or higher identified than the Olympics.

Cybercriminals have been seeking to capitalize on the Olympics for years – for instance, faux ticketing websites proliferated approach again throughout the Beijing 2008 Summer season Olympics. Since then, even some state-aligned menace 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 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 you need to look out for? And how will you keep secure?

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 are going to attempt to trick you into coming into your private and monetary data, or clicking on malicious hyperlinks/opening attachments which end in silent malware set up. Examples embody:

• Free streaming hyperlinks that result in malware supply or credential theft
• Particular prize attracts and ‘final likelihood provides’ reminiscent of 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 could appear to be the actual deal. However they only need your cash and/or card particulars. Your buy doesn’t exist. In some circumstances, scammers may also put faux 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 may be a hotbed of malware hidden in hyperlinks, plugins and information. They’re additionally stuffed with video overlay advertisements that aren’t typically only a minor inconvenience. As an alternative, many are usually malicious and if you click on on them, you’ll be redirected to a malicious web site or unwittingly obtain malware in your system.

Pretend apps

Cell apps masquerading as official Winter Olympics apps may very well include infostealing malware or different threats. Such malicious apps are primarily discovered on numerous 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 prime of search outcomes. They might set off drive-by-downloads or attempt to get hold of your private data.

Assist scams

When you complain on social media about a difficulty together with your flight/resort/tickets, fraudsters could leap in posing as ‘official assist.’ They don’t actually need to assist, they only need your private, monetary and reserving data.  

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 data or trick you into paying an upfront ‘payment’ 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’ll generate phishing web sites and messages at scale in flawless native languages. They usually may create practical audio and video designed to affect your choice making. Be careful for deepfake movies of well-known athletes in search of to solicit donations for faux charities or ‘coaching funds.’

QR code phishing

When 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 well-liked tactic that blends bodily and digital threats to steal your fee particulars or private data. It’s notably efficient tactic as a result of it typically doesn’t arouse the identical degree of suspicion amongst folks as, say, phishing URLs. Cell units are additionally typically much less nicely protected than laptops and desktops, so there’s extra likelihood of success.

Public Wi-Fi

When you’re out and about on the occasion, beware of faux and lookalike hotspots designed to seize your private and monetary data.

Staying secure from Winter Olympics scams

To remain secure 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.
• 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 look like from official Winter Olympics organizers/sponsors.
• Scrutinize listings for pink flags, even when they’re on official websites. Take a look at critiques, at all times use the official in-app messaging service and prioritize sellers with “verified” badges or comparable.
• When 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 when you can. If you need to use a hotspot, don’t log in to high-value accounts, reminiscent of 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 system 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 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 about to be a deal with for sports activities followers around the globe. However digital scammers may also be paying shut consideration. Benefit from the enjoyable, and keep secure.