Brugada Issues QR Code Fraud Alert: Fake Neighborhood Access Passes for Estadio Ciudad de México Circulating

Jefa de Gobierno Clara Brugada issued a public fraud warning on May 30 after authorities detected circulating fake QR codes purporting to grant 'vecinal' (neighborhood resident) priority access to the Estadio Ciudad de México during World Cup matches. Mexico City had announced a neighborhood resident access program in late May under which residents living within a defined radius of the stadium in the Coyoacán and Tlalpan alcaldías could register for priority admission to avoid the gridlock expected around the venue on match days. Fraudsters had begun selling fabricated QR codes to non-residents and foreign tourists via WhatsApp groups and social media, charging between MXN 500 and MXN 3,000 per code for access that the counterfeit codes could not guarantee. Brugada confirmed that authentic vecinal QR codes were only issued through official government portals and physical community centers (Centros de Atención Ciudadana), and that any code received via messaging apps or unofficial channels was fraudulent. The SSC-CDMX cybercrime unit opened investigations targeting the fraud networks. The warning extends to hotel and ticketing package fraud — the consumer protection agency PROFECO had been receiving complaints about lodging price-gouging and fake accommodation listings, with hotels and Airbnbs in Roma, Condesa, and Polanco areas charging three to five times their normal rates.