Unauthorized ticket sites list England group matches at $10,000+

October 31 - Thousands of fans traveling to the World Cup risk having their tickets canceled due to the volume sold on unauthorized websites, cybersecurity experts have warned.

Four of the most popular ticketing platforms – StubHub, Viagogo, Ticombo and Sports Events 365 – have reportedly sold tickets despite FIFA's ban on unauthorized sales.

“Tickets obtained from any source not expressly authorized by FIFA are invalid and will not be accepted,” says FIFA.

But NordVPN researchers claim that ticketing platforms are selling tickets for all group matches and tournament round of 16 at inflated prices.

Sports Events 365, Ticombo and viagogo have responded by insisting that they are operating legally and in compliance with applicable consumer protection laws by allowing transactions on their sites.

But Marijus Briedis, CTO of NordVPN Virtual Private Network, told Metro: "While FIFA prohibits unauthorized sites from selling World Cup tickets, we We were quickly able to find thousands of them for sale on US secondary ticketing platforms.Football fans may be tempted to buy through well-known resale sites, but they are taking a big risk.

"Not only will they likely have to pay massively inflated prices, but they could also have their ticket canceled without notice. It's a long way to go to see your World Cup dream, and your ticket, end in shreds."

FIFA initially gave fans the opportunity to sell their tickets on its official resale platform between August 2 and 16 and this month gave them another window to resell their tickets closer to the start of the tournament . However, thousands of the expected 1.2 million fans in Qatar have reportedly tried to take advantage of other platforms.

Some of the most requested tickets include England's three group games against Iran, USA and Wales. A ticket for England's first group game against Iran on November 21 in Tier 3, the cheapest tier for overseas fans, went on sale on Stubhub for $10,217, up over 140 times its face value.

A FIFA spokesperson is quoted as saying: "FIFA views the illicit sale and distribution of tickets as a serious matter and views the security implications of the unauthorized transfer and/or resale of tickets as being of paramount importance.Therefore, in recent years, FIFA has taken legal action against viagogo and other platforms.

"Indeed, following FIFA's action, the Qatari authorities blocked viagogo, which means that the platform cannot be accessed from Qatari IP addresses. FIFA's ultimate goal in the fight against the secondary ticket market is to prioritize the safety and security of fans and to apply a fair system of pricing tickets for the FIFA World Cup™.

"FIFA reminds all fans that FIFA.com/tickets is the only official and legitimate website to purchase tickets for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

:Tickets purchased through unauthorized distribution channels may be canceled once identified. FIFA reserves the right to refuse access to the stadium to any holder of such tickets. During the 2022 FIFA World Cup, FIFA and local authorities will carry out admission checks."

But Sefi Donner, CEO of Sports Events 365, told Metro: "Sports Events 365 sells tickets to sporting events in over 60 countries, using a search engine that allows visitor to search for events based on their travel destination.

"We do our best to offer the most competitive prices for each match [better than those found by researchers]. Based on the legal advice we have received, there is no law prohibiting the sale of tickets for the World Cup in the UK."

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