Sydney, Aug 15: Fans of the Matildas are urged to stay cautious regarding potential scams ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-final on Wednesday night.
The National Anti-Scam Centre has raised a warning, having received initial reports of scams targeting Matilda’s supporters on social media.
These scams involve fraudulent ticket sales and fake live-stream links to matches.The ACCC Deputy Chair, Catriona Lowe, emphasized that while the Matildas’ success is inspiring, fans should exercise caution, especially for last-minute ticket purchases during major events.
She pointed out that scammers are already active on platforms like Facebook, responding to ticket-related posts and using compromised accounts to sell nonexistent tickets.
Some scammers have even requested repeated payments, claiming payment issues.
Scammers often initiate contact via social media, claiming they have available tickets and providing fake proof of ticket ownership.
The scam has extended to those seeking to buy tickets as well.
To protect themselves, consumers are advised to purchase tickets exclusively from authorized sellers, ensuring the legitimacy of the purchase.
It’s crucial to verify the authorized ticket seller and whether there’s an official ticket reseller for the event.In addition to ticket scams, the National Anti-Scam Centre has identified scams related to live-streaming sports events.
These scams lure victims into clicking links to supposed live-streams of sporting events, including the FIFA Women’s World Cup matches. Victims are prompted to provide credit card details to subscribe to the service, but scammers typically abscond with the provided information and fail to deliver the promised content.
To guard against scams, individuals are encouraged to research the organizations or individuals they’re dealing with before sharing personal information or making payments.
If encountering scam activity, reporting it directly to the relevant platform is recommended. Any scams should also be reported to www.scamwatch.gov.au.
The three-step approach of “STOP, THINK, PROTECT” is highlighted as essential for avoiding scams.
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