Matildas’ fans who want to score last-minute tickets for tonight’s FIFA semi-final are urged to be wary of scammers.
The National Anti-Scam Centre has issued a warning after receiving reports of scams targeting Matildas fans on social media, including fraudulent ticket sales and fake live-stream links to matches.
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ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said they received initial reports of scam activities, particularly on Facebook.
“Scammers are responding to posts from people looking for tickets and using compromised accounts to sell non-existent tickets,” Ms Lowe said.
“Fans should be very careful when last-minute ticket shopping for hugely popular events such as the World Cup finals,” she said.
“There have also been reports of scammers claiming there is a problem with the payment and asking for it to be made again.”
The ACCC says scammers either post or directly contact consumers via social media platforms, claiming they have tickets available for sale.
They will then send a screenshot showing fake proof of ticket ownership.
The organisation suggested people buy tickets from an authorised ticket seller to ensure they purchase legitimate tickets and check if an official ticket reseller exists for the event.
Before purchasing a ticket, consumers should verify that the first ticket seller appearing in online search results is the official authorised ticket seller and not a reseller that might have secured the top position through payment.
“Do not purchase from a website beginning with http: and exercise caution when purchasing from a https: site.”
The National Anti-Scam Centre has also received reports of scammer activity across social media, linking to supposed live-stream 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.
She said in most cases, scammers steal credit card details and fail to deliver the content they signed up for.
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