A cybersecurity company has exposed a sophisticated online fraud scheme targeting Olympic fans through fake merchandise websites designed to look like the official Milano Cortina 2026 store.
On Tuesday, Bitdefender revealed they had discovered multiple counterfeit shopping sites that closely mirror the legitimate Olympic merchandise store, aimed at deceiving customers in Europe and across the United States.
The security researchers found that these fraudulent operations spread through deceptive advertisements on Facebook and other Meta-owned platforms, enticing shoppers with massive markdowns of up to 80 percent on what appears to be genuine Olympic products.
When unsuspecting customers click these promotional ads, they’re taken to sophisticated replica websites that steal payment information, home addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and sometimes login passwords. Those who fall victim may either receive fake products or receive nothing while having their sensitive information stolen.
Bitdefender’s investigation showed these criminal operations depend on extremely realistic copies of the authentic Olympics merchandise website.
Officials from the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics organizing committee and Meta did not respond to requests for comment.
The counterfeit websites feature the same product images, visual design, official logos, and product lines as the real store.
Security experts noted that numerous fake web addresses were created within days of each other and marketed through recently established Facebook accounts. This pattern indicates an organized network designed to change rapidly and evade detection by authorities.
Most of these fraudulent websites vanish within hours or days after collecting payments, making it impossible for victims to recover their money.
Bitdefender pointed out that careful observers can spot key differences that expose the scam. While the legitimate store promotes deals like “Sign up and save 15%”, the counterfeit versions advertise “Sign up and save 80%”.
The cybersecurity firm recommended that shoppers verify website registration information, remain skeptical of unusually large discounts, and research the background of Facebook pages advertising these deals.
Given the extensive and advanced nature of this criminal operation, thousands of online shoppers could fall victim as the Winter Games draw to a close, according to the security company’s warning.
