At the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, scammers have successfully duped some of the world’s wealthiest individuals by selling counterfeit VIP access passes to USA House, where President Donald Trump is scheduled to address participants. The privately funded American venue issued a warning this week after receiving numerous inquiries about fraudulent tickets marketed online.
USA House and Stromback Global, the organizers, emphasized they do not work with external resellers and will deny entry to anyone who purchased such packages. According to the organizers’ website notice, the volume of inquiries suggests these fake passes may represent the fastest selling fiction about Davos since Thomas Mann’s Magic Mountain, referencing the novel that helped establish the town’s mystique long before it became synonymous with global elite gatherings.
The counterfeit passes promised exclusive entry to USA House, situated in a historic church, where Trump’s special address will be livestreamed on Wednesday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, White House AI and crypto czar David Sacks, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, and Microsoft president Brad Smith are among the scheduled speakers at the venue, which commemorates 250 years of American history and emphasizes themes of innovation, opportunity, collaboration, and democratic values.
California Governor Gavin Newsom weighed in on the scam with pointed commentary. He alerted on social media that scammers are selling access to Trump at Davos, encouraging billionaires to be vigilant and only utilize what he called the White House’s official pay for access operation. Newsom, who is attending the forum and has been critical of Trump administration policies, has called on European leaders to take firmer stances against the president’s recent foreign policy initiatives.
Business Insider senior correspondent Ben Bergman visited USA House and reported finding long queues outside the venue. Inside, he observed a modest buffet featuring tomato soup, chicken salad sandwiches, and Greek salad. Amanda Estiverne, a consultant to fintech companies, told Bergman the USA House was very hard to get into, a scarcity that appears to have created fertile conditions for fraud.
The choice to host high profile American political programming inside a church has raised eyebrows among some attendees. Nils Handler, who works at the University of Zurich, voiced discomfort with the venue selection. He stated he favors open and active diplomacy but questioned whether a church is the appropriate place, describing the situation as strange.
The USA House website notes that organizers expressed their sympathies to those who fell victim to these scams. The incident highlights how even at Davos, where participants include heads of state, corporate titans, and some of the planet’s wealthiest individuals, the allure of proximity to power can override caution. For billionaire attendees who paid for fraudulent access, the desire to be close to a sitting American president proved costly, demonstrating that prestige offers no immunity from deception.
Trump is expected to arrive in Davos on Wednesday, accompanied by several top US officials. His appearance comes amid heightened tensions over his administration’s push to acquire Greenland and threats of substantial tariffs on European nations. The 2026 World Economic Forum continues through Friday, with a record 850 CEOs and 65 heads of state meeting to address pressing global issues including international conflicts and economic cooperation.
