How scammers are already targeting NFL fans this season
The period between the Super Bowl and the first regular-season game always seems the longest for NFL fans. After minicamps, offseason intrigue, and, of course, the yearly edition of HBO’s Hard Knocks, the season’s kickoff is almost here.
Unfortunately, scammers from across the world have been lying in wait. Between phony ticket sales and fake merchandising websites, the schemes are endless for America’s frenzied football fans.
As you take in the 2026 football season, keep an eye out for the following scams. PeopleFinders provides tips on sniffing out these trick plays and stopping them before they start.
For Scammers, Football Season = Fraud Season
Behind every successful scam is some tenet of social engineering. Scammers often try to create a sense of urgency, for instance. That could manifest in a scam wherein a victim is told they have one hour to enter a parlay that’s guaranteed to pay out serious money. In another scheme, scammers might tell victims they have tickets to the big rivalry game at a steep discount, but supplies are running out fast.
The enormous appetite Americans have for football means some people will go to desperate measures to see their favorite team play. Potential victims are also more inclined to let their guard down when they believe their wallet is about to get a lot fatter.
4 Scams to Watch for During Football Season
Football season scams always seem to coalesce around these four types of schemes. Make sure your pocket awareness is set to 99 this year!
1. Fake Ticket Marketplaces
The staggering amount of NFL games and available tickets makes this scam the most common during football season. To pull this off, scammers will create legitimate-looking websites that spoof Ticketmaster, SeatGeek, StubHub, VividSeats, and other online marketplaces.
Red flag: The ticket seller asks you to pay with cryptocurrency, a wire transfer, gift cards, or some other method with few consumer protections.
2. Fraudulent Fantasy Leagues
Fantasy football is no longer limited to the cozy 10-manager leagues that stay within friend groups. Daily fantasy sports (DFS) and knockout leagues on FanDuel, DraftKings, and other gaming websites have transformed the pastime into a $7.22 billion industry.
As fantasy players have access to more and more data, they’ve become comfortable with putting larger amounts of their own money on the line. Accordingly, scammers have begun creating fake fantasy leagues and keeping entry fees for themselves.
Red flag: The fantasy league commissioner is vague on the payout terms and difficult to reach when you have questions.
In a potential real-life example, the Missouri attorney general’s office opened an investigation into allegations of non-payment by ESPN personality Matt Miller. Multiple individuals have alleged that they were not compensated for their winnings after entering leagues commissioned by Miller on the fantasy football website Sleeper.
Miller often asked entrants to pay fees on Venmo, Cash App, and other digital apps. Some fantasy managers who eventually received their payouts reported that they only did so after contacting Miller’s coworkers. The investigation has not resulted in criminal charges or lawsuits, but Miller is now on leave from his job at ESPN.
3. Phishing Schemes
Phishing is one of the most common scams because it’s so versatile. The scheme involves communications from scammers (emails and text messages, most commonly) that redirect internet users to scam websites. These websites impersonate trusted companies, government officials, and other entities.
When scammers convince victims to enter sensitive information, they’ll use it to make purchases or sell it on the dark web. During football season, scammers often hit up potential victims with deeply discounted livestreams of their favorite teams. The streaming website, of course, turns out to be fake—but the scam is all too real.
Red flag: Someone unexpectedly contacts you with a too-good-to-be-true offer.
4. Fake Betting Sites
The explosion of the sports betting industry has been nothing short of astonishing. In 2025, Americans spent $166 billion on wagers, which was more than twice the amount the country collectively spent on movies, recorded music, books, and museums.
Naturally, this enormous universe has attracted countless scammers and fraudsters. Some betting victims fall to phishing scams, while others get roped into these scams by viewing deepfakes of celebrities endorsing fraudulent betting websites.
Red flag: The betting website makes claims of “guaranteed winnings” or “sure bets.”
How to Protect Your Data (& Your Wallet)
Preventing a sack on the football field means having great protection from your offensive line. If you want to protect your data and finances, you’re also going to need the right blocking schemes to protect against scammers and fraudsters.
Here are some tips for staying away from football season scams:
- Don’t transmit personally sensitive information (credit card number, bank account password) over the internet. Just like coaches use coded signals to call offensive plays, don’t give away the game when you’re dealing with somebody you don’t trust!
- Call the verified phone number of a business or government organization that has purportedly contacted you.
- Enable two-factor authentication for important online accounts.
- Closely inspect URLs of football ticket marketplaces and fantasy sports websites.
- Run contact information through a trusted reverse phone lookup tool if you receive an unexpected call.
If you believe you have made contact with a scammer, report them as soon as possible to the FTC. Contact your bank to put a hold on your accounts and, if necessary, cancel your debit and credit cards. Change your username and passwords if you believe they’ve fallen into the wrong hands.
Don’t Let Scammers Intercept Your Data
Scams during football season are limited only by scammers’ imaginations. There are more opportunities than ever for these bad actors to contact potential victims and make their fraudulent pitch. From counterfeit team merchandise and tickets to fraudulent fantasy leagues and betting websites, the commodification of professional football means fans must practice vigilance at every turn.
With a little bit of knowledge and preparation, you can keep scammers from attacking your blind side and wresting your data away from you. Here’s hoping the only disappointment you feel this season has to do with your favorite team’s performance on the field.
This story was produced by PeopleFinders and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
