Welcome to North Texas, World Cup fans.
The premier sports event runs from June 11 to July 19. And while Lionel Messi dazzles crowds inside Arlington’s stadium, scammers will be working the crowd outside — selling fake tickets, bogus merchandise and empty promises.
I’m the DallasNews.com Watchdog, and part of my job is making sure you don’t fall for it.
I’ll share tips to keep you out of harm’s way.
Watchdog Alert
Ticket scams
Supposedly, there could be dozens of people who own a ticket to the same seat.
Ticket fraud is rampant. But it appears FIFA, the world governing association for soccer, has come up with a couple of novel ways to stop ticket fraud.
The first is that fifa.com is the only authorized seller of game tickets. So forget shady characters, or fake websites.
The second protection is that tickets can also get resold through the same Fifa.com website.
Related
Scam alerts
Never wire money overseas. If you’re told to pay with gift cards or Venmo or the Cash app, it’s an absolute scam.
Always make sure you’re on Fifa.com, not, as an example, FifaFootball.com or any site where it looks like the original site, not an imposter.
Fifa.com is mobile ready for ticket sales. Printouts or screenshots will not work.
Avoid social media sellers. They’ll make for an impressive sale pitch, but its likely they won’t have real tickets.
Reservation scams
Are you looking for a place to stay at a reasonable price? Real estate scams are so easy to fall for. Look at those pretty pictures of the property. And the rental price is so cheap. Hmm.
Reverse search the property on the web. Check Google Images and Google Earth.
You might find out that the property is actually a postal box.
Public transportation
You might already know that the Arlington stadium is situated in what could be America’s largest city without regular public transportation. Shuttle buses and other temporary transports will ferry fans during the World Cup.
Perhaps you want to rent a car? I’m sure prices will spike. But check out my favorite car rental site, autoslash.com.
Parking alert
Be wary of parking. Many private property owners allow fans to park on their property. How much? Too soon to know, but I bet the price will be high and likely divisible by 10 – as in $30, or $40, or even $50.
Don’t pay to park using an app like Venmo or Cash.com. In this, cash is king. Don’t fall for the popular scam where you’re told you need to buy a separate parking license. No such thing.
Avoid QR codes
Watch out for QR codes. They could be a gateway to a malicious website.
Also remember to pay with credit cards because they sometimes offer buyer protections — unlike debit cards, apps and wire transfers.
The Better Business Bureau suggests you research ticket sellers, and what their customers post about them.
Experts warn to avoid ticket sellers outside the stadium. Ask for proof of sale showing where they acquired the tickets. If you buy tickets outside the stadium and they turn out to be bogus, good luck finding the culprit. The scammers scrammed.
Online merch
Authorities expect fake online FIFA shops to peddle bogus merchandise. You might get what you ordered. You might not.
Arlington’s stadium will host nine World Cup games — more than any other city.
More games mean more excitement. They also give scammers more chances to take their shot.
Stay alert. And if your visit goes off without a hitch, the feeling will be almost as sweet as watching Messi find the back of the net.