LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Cybercriminals will be looking to score when the FIFA World Cup kicks off in less than two weeks, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Thursday was warning locals to beware of scam artists.
Scheming scammers could be offering all kinds of things: “tickets, hospitality packages, merchandise, streaming access and betting opportunities,” but in reality they have one goal: dispossessing the unsuspecting of their cash, authorities said.
“Cybercriminals are creating fake FIFA websites and social media ads that closely resemble legitimate ticketing and checkout pages,” the sheriff’s department stated. “These sites may steal login credentials, personal information, credit card numbers and payments.”
Eight games will be played in the Los Angeles area beginning June 12, all of them at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, but the FIFA Fan Festival, featuring food, music, live match broadcasts and other activities, will take place at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on June 11-14.
Officials advise anyone considering a purchase of World Cup tickets or anything related to the quadrennial tournament that gets under way June 11 to have a stout defense.
“Before buying World Cup tickets or related products, residents should go directly to the official FIFA website by typing the address into their browser,” the sheriff’s department advised. “Do not rely on sponsored ads, social media posts, text messages, Telegram or WhatsApp links, or offers that appear unusually cheap or urgent.”
Fans should also be wary of sellers seeking payments in cryptocurrency, or via wire transfer, peer-to-peer payment apps, gift cards or other methods that are difficult if not impossible to reverse.
“Do not trust screenshots, PDFs, or `paper tickets’ offered by private sellers,” the department stated.
Anyone who believes they’ve been scammed should contact local law enforcement, as well as their bank or credit card issuer while also saving screenshots and transaction records.
A report should also be filed on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center website at IC3.gov.
Recent Comments