The 2014 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Brazil on June 12th and is guaranteed to be a colourful and enjoyable event. However, with a global event that generates such passion and publicity comes the chance for unscrupulous scammers to make large amounts of money. Make sure that you do not become a victim yourself!
Image provided by Agência Brasil / Wikimedia Commons(license)
According to NetNames there are a variety of scams related to the World Cup that you need to be aware of and watch our for:
- Fake Tickets – this is the easiest and most profitable way for a scammer to make money from the World Cup. There are thousands of fake websites already in existence claiming to be official ticket partners for the World Cup. Not only are they charging sky high prices, but you are highly unlikely to ever receive any tickets. Please, only ever purchase tickets through official channels. If you are unsure of whether or not you are buying genuine tickets then contact FIFA for further information. There are likely to be many companies offering travel and ticket packages – please do not fall for a scam as you will be left thousands of pounds out of pocket!
- Phishing Emails – There are various emails circulating that either claim that you have been “randomly selected” as a winner of World Cup tickets, or offer you free entry into a competition to win World Cup tickets. These will require some form of ID and your personal information as part of the entry criteria. In addition, if you “Win” (or have already won), you will be required to hand over credit card details either for “Security Purposes”, or to pay for travel/accommodation which will not be included, but will probably be one of the conditions for you to receive your tickets. The chances of winning World Cup tickets are pretty much zero so do not fall for any email Phishing scams.
- Fake Mobile Applications – There are likely to be a large number of World Cup themed mobile applications released for Android, IOS, and Windows mobile devices. Most of these will be genuine, but some of them will not be. Rogue mobile devices can have varying intentions, from stealing your personal data, intercepting banking passwords, to even mining cryptocurrency. Only ever download mobile applications from the appropriate stores (e.g. Google Play, Apple), and even then you should still be cautions with regards to the permissions the application requires.
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Counterfeit Football Merchandise – There is likely to be a huge market selling counterfeit World Cup merchandise. Whilst you may not mind paying a small amount for a non-genuine mug, or similarly small item, if you want to buy the genuine shirt to support your country then make sure you buy it from a genuine retailer. If you find it online, on a site you have never heard of, for a really cheap price then remember – if it’s too good to be true then it almost certainly is!- Fake Gambling Sites – A huge amount of money is staked on an event as prestigious as a World Cup. Many fake betting sites will be set up with the sole intention of stealing your money. Many such gambling sites will try to entice you with promises of large free bets just for completing the sign up process. Be aware that you will need to give out your Bank and/or Credit Card details to any betting websites. We would strongly recommend that you only bet either via a betting shop in person or, if betting online stick to the gambling sites that you are familiar with and are well know.
Counterfeit Football Merchandise – There is likely to be a huge market selling counterfeit World Cup merchandise. Whilst you may not mind paying a small amount for a non-genuine mug, or similarly small item, if you want to buy the genuine shirt to support your country then make sure you buy it from a genuine retailer. If you find it online, on a site you have never heard of, for a really cheap price then remember – if it’s too good to be true then it almost certainly is!The FIFA World Cup is going to be a wonderful affair, and with it being hosted in Brazil it is going to have a carnival like atmosphere for the entire month.
Be sure to enjoy it, and take part in it as much as you can, whether that be wearing your countries shirt, attending a game or two, or having a little flutter with the hope of winning some money. But please, whatever you do, be aware that somebody, somewhere is trying to con you out of your money. Do not make it easy for them to do so!
Brazil World Cup Presents Scammers With Multiple Opportunites to Make Money originally appeared on InternetSafetyTips on May 1, 2014. Tweet This
