Fans heading to the World Cup may end up with their dreams ‘in tatters’ due to resales of tickets priced up to £18,000 on unauthorised websites, cybersecurity experts have warned.
Four of the most popular platforms have hosted listings for seats at next month’s tournament in Qatar, the researchers found.
This is despite FIFA banning unauthorised resale sites from selling tickets to games for the FIFA World Cup 2022, which kicks off at the 60,000-capacity Al-Bayt stadium on November 21
In its terms and conditions, football’s governing body states: ‘Tickets obtained from any source that is not expressly authorised by FIFA are not valid and will not be accepted.’
FIFA says it bans reselling for security reasons, to protect consumers, tackle counterfeiting and ensure fair pricing. It even warns those flouting its rules that they could be subject to ‘criminal fines and penalties’.