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The opening match between Brazil and Croatia. Source: AP

BRAZILIAN fans at the World Cup who were supposedly requiring the use of wheelchairs have been caught jumping out of their seats prompting an investigation by police into possible ticket fraud.

The soccer fans were caught on CCTV and social media standing up out of their wheelchairs and cheering at the opening match in Sao Paulo between Brazil and Croatia, a sight that confused many onlookers.

Reported in The Telegraph , officials are now concerned that concession tickets designed for disabled fans are being sold on the black market and that buyers of these tickets are using wheelchairs to pass through check points without suspicion.

Scalpers have been selling the highly sought after tickets outside of stadiums and on Facebook with concession passes especially popular as each wheelchair ticket comes with a free companion pass.

Fans cheer before the opening match between Brazil and Croatia. Source: AP

But selling tickets for more than face value is a crime in Brazil with a maximum sentence of four years in prison.

That hasn't stopped a flourishing black market with fans eager to get their hands on limited tickets with reports Brazil matches are fetching around $1800, up to ten times the face value.

There are allegedly 22 pictures on CCTV showing wheelchair bound fans standing up at the stadium and around 30 photos from members of the public.

However proving the alleged fraud will be difficult as needing a wheelchair doesn't necessarily mean you can't stand up and the accusations have outraged some who have taken to Twitter to vent their anger.

More than 20,000 special-needs tickets have been set aside by FIFA for the duration of the month-long tournament with organisers saying that checks are in place to ensure they go to those who need them.

These tickets include access to the double-wide seats that Brazilian law guarantees for obese World Cup fans. The stadium in Rio de Janeiro has been fitted with wide-bodied seats to comply with the country's law that requires half-price, special-needs tickets for fans with a body mass index of 30 or higher.

Seating has become a huge headache for World Cup organisers. Source: AFP

However just like the alleged wheelchair fraud, these seats are being occupied by people who don't need that much extra space and FIFA says they can't do anything about it.

According to the World Health Organisation and Brazil Ministry of Health guidelines, those with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher can purchase one of the tickets. But this means that tall and skinny people, for example someone who is 1.8 metres tall and weighs around 100 kilograms, are eligible much to the frustration of authorities.

Reported in Bloomberg , World Cup's head of hospitality, Federico Addiechi, explained the situation.

"There are cases where a person doesn't look obese but meets the guidelines," he said after a briefing yesterday at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana stadium, where the World Cup's July 13 final will be held. "We cannot decide you are not obese if the law says you are obese."