(WSVN) - As South Florida gets pumped up for this year’s FIFA World Cup, experts warn fans to be wary of tickets priced too good to be true.
With hundreds of thousands of fans expected to roar across the stands of Miami Stadium in just over a week, experts say the rush to find last-minute tickets is leading to more people falling for scams.
“We’re seeing an increasing number of scams of basically fraudulent ticket sales,” said Gary Orenstein for Bitwarden, an application that assists users in organizing and protecting passwords across their accounts.
Orenstein said these schemes have already begun targeting several local consumers desperate to get tickets.
“What we’re seeing is people are getting roped into situations where they’re giving financial info, credit card or otherwise, and not getting what they expected in terms of a legitimate ticket,” he said.
The Federal Trade Commission and FIFA are also warning fans that fraudulent websites are actively operating ahead of the tournament.
Officials say some scammers create websites that mimic official FIFA branding and offer counterfeit tickets that fail to scan at the gate.
Experts advise consumers to follow crucial steps to protect themselves from falling prey to such scams.
“Protect your information, your financial information, your login information, so that when you are transacting, you’re careful about it and doing your best to stay safe,” said Orenstein.
It’s also strongly recommended that fans avoid purchasing tickets through third-party vendors or unofficial resale websites.
Tickets obtained through unofficial channels may be invalid and could be canceled without prior notice.
“They come in different channels so [it] could be emails that come through where they’re trying to convince you to go to a fraudulent website,” said Orenstein.
Orenstein also recommended consumers take a second look at any strange emails they receive, especially if they view them on their phones.
“Wait until you’re on a laptop, if possible, before you dig in because you can see where those email addresses, what they are and where the links are,” said Orenstein.
Overall, fans trying to get tickets to the world’s largest sporting event should follow these safety tips to avoid scams.
“Having a good heightened sense of awareness is great. Sticking to the official channels for ticket sales is always a good place to start first. The FIFA.com website has a place for that,” said Orenstein.
As AI tools continually improve, scams like these can become more complex and easier to use to deceive even the most wary fans. Another layer of protection buyers can use is to make these kinds of purchases on credit cards with credit protection, so it’s easier to recoup some of the lost money.
WSVN-7 will be home to all the action on the field when the World Cup begins on June 11.
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