Some soccer fans who bought World Cup tickets directly through FIFA months ago had their purchases canceled days before kickoff due to “fraudulent activity.” FIFA in an email to an impacted customer said 461 tickets were canceled after being flagged as fraudulent. “I was thinking maybe t his was like a phishing email or something like that,” said Paul Dufresne, who had his FIFA World Cup tickets canceled. Dufresne and his daughter had a dream trip planned for Saturday’s World Cup match between Qatar and Switzerland. In addition to paying $720 for a pair of tickets through FIFA’s website in April, the family booked a hotel and this week received an email from FIFA about the canceled tickets. May 13 2026 FIFA World Cup: Bay Area schedule, watch parties, what to know San Jose Jun 11 Thousands pack downtown San Jose for World Cup kickoff World Cup 9 hours ago Will the World Cup cause a disease outbreak? Doctors weigh in on the highest-risk illnesses Dufresne said his bank found no signs of fraud. FIFA eventually confirmed the cancellation, escalated his case, but provided no explanation. Adding to the frustration, Dufresne found his tickets had already been resold. “How often is the World Cup coming to the Bay? Is that going to happen anytime soon? The rest of my lifetime? No,” Dufresne said. FIFA in an email to Dufresne explained tickets are subject to terms of sale, including suspected or confirmed fraudulent activity. Other fans online reported similar experiences after buying tickets through official channels. For Dufresne’s daughter, Taylor, the loss is personal. She grew up playing soccer with her father as her coach. “It’s very frustrating and sad that we can’t go,” she said. “And hearing other people being able to go and thinking about us being there, but not able to anymore is just really sad.” Consumer advocates said World Cup fever can create opportunities for scams and warn to check against fake tickets and websites, but note this case is different. Still, experts said using a credit card provides important protections if something goes wrong. “We actually recommend that people use a credit card when making purchases like this because there’s just more protections when you have a credit card,” said Jenn Engstrom, a state director for CALPIRG Education Fund. “There’s the fair credit billing act, which will just help you to get your money back.” Dufresne is now working to recover his money, but said the real loss is missing a once-in-a-lifetime match. “Just refunding the money seems a small thing for losing a lot more than just the funds of dollars,” he said. “It’s the experience.” FIFA has not responded to NBC Bay Area’s request for comment on this story. ...read more read less