Bet-related Phishing Spikes During Summer Sports Season

In June, at the height of World Cup fervor, brand protection firm Corsearch warned against “tournament-driven impersonation,” in which fraudulent operators mimic trusted brands to lure unwitting bettors.

According to the data, in June 2025, enforcement actions against betting-related phishing scams surged by 118 percent month-on-month.

While enforcement was effective on social media, a “dark sector” of phishing and fake domains was more resilient, leveraging regulated brand identities to funnel users to the black market. Per the data:

    • Brand hijacking: 58 percent of all brand infringements identified by Corsearch concerning 12 major international online betting and gaming operators in 2025 were trademark-related, followed by copyright infringement at 29 percent

    • Social media manipulation: Social media platforms saw the greatest enforcement activity,  accounting for 51 percent and a takedown success rate of 94 percent

    • App store integrity: 162 fraudulent betting and iGaming apps were identified and disrupted with an 86 percent success rate

“The 118 percent spike we saw last year shows how quickly fraudsters exploit major sporting moments to impersonate trusted betting brands to mislead consumers,” said Simon Baggs, Corsearch executive chairman of brand and content protection. He recommended a proactive approach that combines “AI-driven detection with human expertise to identify and disrupt abuse earlier, protecting both brand reputation and player trust.”