Super Bowl Scams

Want to watch the big game? Don’t get taken by a scammer instead.

Who Is It Targeting: Football fans

What Is It: A variety of scams involving fake tickets, travel deals, and more.

What Are They After: Any time a high-profile event comes around—like a farewell concert or a major sporting event—scammers will undoubtedly find ways to help you part with your money for their benefit. With the upcoming Super Bowl already making national headlines, agencies like the Better Business Bureau are warning the public to be cautious.

There are scams involving fake tickets, fake airfare deals, even fake accommodations in the city where the game will be held. Watch out for red flags that tell you something isn’t right, and make sure you’re only working with reputable brokers for all of your big game needs.

How Can You Avoid It:

• Pay by credit card if you can so you have some measure of consumer protection; never pay for something sight unseen via prepaid debit card or wire transfer.
• Ask for alternate forms of communication than just an email address. If the seller can’t or won’t provide a phone number, something fishy might be going on.
• Whenever you book accommodations, make sure there are lots of pictures and verify the property’s address for yourself. You can even do a reverse Google image search to make sure the photos are of the correct location.

If you think you may be a victim of identity theft, contact the Identity Theft Resource Center for toll-free, no-cost assistance at (888) 400-5530. Find more information about current scams and alerts here.

For full details of this scam check out this article from Better Business Bureau.