From phishing to porn star impersonators: how scamming athletes became a billion-dollar industry

"With exorbitant ticket, travel and hotel prices making fans desperate to find an affordable way of attending this summer's World Cup, it's no surprise that security firms and law enforcement agencies are warning that fans are at significant risk of becoming fraud victims. While major tournaments are moments of heightened vulnerability for supporters, players themselves are increasingly attractive year-round targets for cybercriminals who can use AI to mount ever more sophisticated attacks."

"As the sports industry reaches record revenue levels, the financial incentives to steal from athletes and profit illicitly has never been higher, according to a recent report from the consultancy firm EY. The playbook for fraudsters and organised crime is growing more complex every year, and the risks have multiplied at every level of sport."

"The classic way for rich athletes to become poor ones was for them to entrust their financial affairs to their agent or another member of their inner circle. These advisers would then make foolish or fraudulent decisions that went unnoticed until it was too late. One recent example of such an abuse of trust is Ippei Mizuhara, the former interpreter and de facto manager for the Japanese baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani."

"The court was told about schemes that included persuading the players to buy life insurance policies at enormous mark-ups, and unauthorised money transfers that were purportedly donations to a non-profit organisation but instead were used to build what prosecutors termed a state-of-the-art athletic gym in the back yard of Cohen's home."

High ticket, travel, and hotel costs increase fan vulnerability to fraud during the World Cup. Security and law enforcement agencies warn that supporters can become victims of scams. Players are also targeted year-round by cybercriminals using AI to launch more sophisticated attacks. Record sports industry revenue raises financial incentives for theft from athletes. Fraud schemes have expanded across sport, including abuses of trust within athletes’ inner circles. Ippei Mizuhara was sentenced to 57 months for stealing about $17m from Shohei Ohtani’s bank account to repay gambling debts. Darryl Cohen was convicted for defrauding NBA players out of more than $5m through life insurance mark-ups and unauthorized transfers disguised as donations used to build a private gym.

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