When things are moving fast, people make mistakes and those mistakes cost: Formula 1 fans are doing everything they can to watch motorsport, but it
might cost them more than they'd expect

Date:
Tue, 26 May 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Description:
Formula 1 fans across the world are facing complex scams targeting ticket sales, merchandise, and streaming.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Formula 1 is one of the most popular sports in the world today, boasting over 827 million highly
passionate fans across the world in 2025, all tuning in to watch wins,
losses, crashes, and (occasionally) disqualifications.

To say Formula 1 fans get emotional is an understatement, and when there is a chance to win, many will go to extreme lengths to watch it happen - and not always legitimately - and for a threat actor, that pool of 827 million fans
is an unmissable opportunity.

But participation goes beyond just watching the sport. The allure of cheap or discounted merchandise, dubious free streaming services, and the too-good-to-be-true offers play on the high-stakes nature of the sport, and the emotions of passionate fans - we spoke to security giants (and Ferrari partners) Bitdefender to find out more. Latest Videos From You may like How 1Password is helping Oracle Red Bull Racing get back to pole position in Formula 1 2026 One month out from the World Cup, and scammers are already targeting fans 'Cybercriminals are industrializing deception': new report reveals how major global cybercrime syndicates have infiltrated trusted domains with millions now at risk - here's what you need to know Things more very, very fast in Formula 1. (Image credit: Future / Benedict Collins) Bitdefender Threat Index At Pista di Fiorano, Ferraris private racetrack in Italy, I was part of a group of journalists given exclusive access to Bitdefenders Fan Threat Index, which has collated data on the threats facing fans since March 2025.

Bogdan Botezatu, Senior Director of Threat Research & Reporting at Bitdefender, was on hand to guide us through the report.

Scams are evolving. Last year, cybercrime was making about $9 trillion in losses at the global scale. Out of that $9 trillion slice, about $1 trillion is responsible for scamming, he said. This Fan Threat Index is our response
to how scams are evolving.

The Formula 1 teams themselves face a huge array of threats. There is the potential for not only malware and ransomware, but also physical infiltration to steal intellectual property and secrets - and that is why teams form partnerships exactly like Ferraris partnership with Bitdefender, which can offer the teams the expertise and solutions they need to stay protected. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro
newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

At home though, things are fundamentally different, Botezatu notes. When things are moving fast, people make mistakes, and those mistakes cost.

He explains there are four major threats that Formula 1 fans face. The motorsport ecosystem is dominated by speed; you have to source tickets fast; you have to get the right merchandise from the right vendor; you have to find a streaming partner to watch the show at home; you have to face that
emotional involvement that happens on race weekend. (Image credit: Future / Benedict Collins) Last minute tickets and counterfeit merchandise The
ultimate thrill for a Formula 1 fan is almost certainly the opportunity to watch a race in person. In order to make cheap or discounted tickets even
more alluring, scammers will seek to lower the cost of entry by offering ticket lotteries and giveaways. What to read next World Cup 2026: how mobile networks can avoid cybersecurity chaos at kick-off 'A classic honeypot':
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to ensure you don't fall for them

Attending in the merchandise of a fans chosen team adds to the allure, and these forms of scam usually spike in the run up to a race as eager fans look for last minute tickets, and finalize their race-day outfits.

The main target for scammers is the theft of financial information. Drawn in by the urgency of an 80% OFF banner and a storefront that looks legitimate, many fans will trade their banking details for a knock-off hat.

These websites are hosted on short-lived domains that are quickly recycled once the event is over, and are most commonly disseminated through social media.

These cybercrime groups are using stolen accounts that have credit cards attached to boost promoted posts, Botezatu explains. That's how they reach
the right audiences, and thats how they advertise their offers in front of
the right people.

They are maximizing their profits using social media tactics, he adds, explaining that they can abuse the data social media conglomerates such as Meta collect on users to serve their adverts and promoted posts to people of
a specific demographic, in a specific geographic area, or those above a specific income. Free streaming serving up malware As the build-up to a race reaches its highest intensity, threat actors will begin offering free streaming services to fans desperate to tune in. These websites wont necessarily only show Formula 1, but will serve a range of content from
around the world to funnel in as many users as possible.

In many cases, the dubious streaming service will require that you install a VPN in order to watch. While this is sometimes a legitimate way to watch content that typically would not be available in a users region, the services these streaming providers offer are sometimes far from legitimate.

In a best case scenario, Botezatu explains, youll end up purchasing a legitimate streaming service that you dont actually need and you still wont
be able to watch the race, but it will provide the service owner with a
source of affiliate revenue. Worst case, that VPN kit will be malware. and youre going to infect your computer or device.

For those on Android devices, some services will require the installation of
a third-party video player in order to access a stream, and again, you will install malware. In these circumstances, Botezatu notes, the malware will often monitor your clipboard or your screen to track everything you type into your device, including sensitive banking and financial information.

The alternative some fans turn to is the dodgy-streaming dongle. Where legitimate streaming dongles such as the Amazon Fire Stick start from around $30, some groups will disseminate streaming dongles with preinstalled
software for far less, and sometimes at a loss.

While a fan may feel like theyre just got a great deal and free access to every upcoming race, the reality is far sinister. The people who are selling these are using Formula 1 as a pretext for you to open a proxy; an exit node in a VPN used for cybercrime, Botezatu says.

These people give you hardware for free, but instead can sell access to your household to various cybercrime groups that are doing money laundering, illegal content distribution, child pornography, all sorts of things, he
adds.

These devices use your IP address to distribute their illegal content,
meaning that when law enforcement investigates these crimes, it could be your house theyre raiding. Social engineering to dodge antivirus Hollywood and modern TV has taught many people that hacking is a highly complex,
intelligent pursuit that requires the layman to say, In English, damn it!

But the malware distribution scams Bitdefender has spotted targeting some Formula 1 fans are incredibly simple that they border on genius.

Those in the know may have heard of ClickFix attacks, whereby an attacker presents the user with a problem that needs to be solved in order to access a website or service. When many of us are presented with a CAPTCHA to solve, we recognize the familiarity of the branding and will trust that it's
legitimate.

But ClickFix attacks abuse this trust, and rather than clicking on all the bicycles in an image, the user will instead be prompted to open the Windows Terminal using a keyboard shortcut, and then use the Ctrl + V shortcut to paste in a line of code that the hacker has snuck into the clipboard.

For many antivirus suites, even first-rate protection, this activity appears to be legitimate human activity. The antivirus will do nothing to stop it,
and the code will launch a powershell application that immediately installs infostealing software onto the infected device. The infostealer will then harvest browser passwords, session cookies, saved credit cards, VPN credentials, and email access - leading to even bigger problems for fans.

Our advice to Formula 1 fans? Always be on your guard when hunting for online streams, tickets and merch sales, and other linked activity - and remember,
if an offer feels like it could be too good to be true, then it probably is.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/when-things-are-moving-fast-people-make -mistakes-and-those-mistakes-cost-formula-1-fans-are-doing-everything-they-can -to-watch-motorsport-but-it-might-cost-them-more-than-theyd-expect


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