Security is extremely tight at the Paris Olympics as officials remain vigilant for any threat of violence. Here at home, consumers should also keep their guard up, not so much against terrorists but against scammers.
After all, whenever there is a high-profile event that dominates the news cycle, criminals usually try to cash in. For example, after a natural disaster, they can be expected to raise money for fake relief organizations.
Here are some of the things to watch for:
Merchandise: It’s likely that scammers will set up shopping sites that sell all kinds of 2024 Olympics merchandise at rock-bottom prices. But once you pay, they – and your order – disappear.
Phishing texts and emails: NBC and Peacock are carrying the summer games in the U.S., but don’t be surprised if you get a message with an offer of “special coverage” of some event that’s not being broadcast live. Most likely, the message will provide a link, which will download malware or take you to a site where you have to provide all of your personal information.
Fake jobs
Job scams: Scammers may use social media to recruit people to provide some kind of service in connection with the games. In a likely scenario, scammers might claim to be from NBC, or a local NBC affiliate, offering fake jobs promoting TV coverage. That happened during the 2022 Winter Games.
Fake tickets: With airfares to Europe unusually low, some last-minute fans may decide to go to the games. Scammers are lying in wait, with fake ticket sites and fake apartment rentals. French authorities have counted at least 300 fake ticket sites so far.
“They'll sell fake tickets or tickets they don't actually possess at inflated prices, leaving buyers without valid entry to events they pay for," Zulfikar Ramzan, chief scientist at digital security company Aura, told CBS MoneyWatch. "They'll set up fake websites, send fake emails to guide people to websites that are made to look legit with the Olympic logo and look pixel perfect, so to speak, to trick people to give away their password and credit card information."
So stay on your toes. Remember that Olympic logos are trademarked and can only be used on authorized sites. If they show up elsewhere, it’s a sign of a scam.
