Matildas fans are being urged to be wary of scammers ahead of Wednesday night’s FIFA Women’s World Cup semi-final.
The National Anti-Scam Centre has issued the warning, after receiving initial reports of scams targeting Matilda’s fans on social media, including fraudulent ticket sales and fake live-stream links to matches.
“Understandably, Australians are inspired by the phenomenal success of the Matildas, but fans should be very careful when last-minute ticket shopping for hugely popular events such as the World Cup finals,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.
“We are already seeing initial reports of scam activity, particularly on Facebook, where scammers are responding to posts from people looking for tickets and using compromised accounts to sell non-existent tickets.”
“There have also been reports of scammers claiming there is a problem with the payment and asking for it to be made again,” Ms Lowe added.
How ticket sale scams work
- Scammers either post or directly contact consumers, usually via social media, to say they have tickets available for sale. Often, they will send a screenshot showing fake proof of ticket ownership.
- Scammers may also respond to posts from people looking to buy tickets to a major event.
Protect yourself
- Consumers should only buy tickets from an authorised ticket seller to ensure they purchase legitimate tickets.
- Before buying a ticket, consumers should check:
- the authorised seller of tickets for the event
- if there is an official ticket reseller for the event
- that the ticket seller who comes up first in the online search results is the authorised ticket seller and not a reseller who may have paid to be at the top of the list.
- Do not purchase from a website beginning with http: and exercise caution when purchasing from a https: site. Further information on how to spot a scam site can be found on the Scamwatch website.
Live-stream sport scams
In addition to ticket sale scams, the National Anti-Scam Centre has also received reports of scammer activity across social media, linking to supposed live-streams of sporting events, including FIFA Women’s World Cup matches.
“This is a relatively new scam that has been circulating on social media, where would-be spectators are prompted to click a link and enter their credit cards details to subscribe to the live-streaming service,” Ms Lowe said.
“In most cases, scammers steal the credit card details and fail to deliver the content signed up for.”
Protect yourself
- Do some research on the organisation or person you are dealing with before giving anyone your money or personal information.
- Report any scam activity to the platform where it is occurring directly.
- Report scams to www.scamwatch.gov.au.
Top tips for avoiding scams
- STOP – take your time before providing money or any personal information.
- THINK – ask yourself if the message could be a scam?
- PROTECT – act quickly if something feels wrong. Contact your bank immediately if you notice unusual activity or if a scammer gets your money or information and report to Scamwatch.
