25.06.2024 - The European Football Championship is in full swing and the Olympic Games in Paris are just around the corner. But it's not just the fans who look forward to such major events: scammers also see an opportunity to benefit from these events and defraud fans. Last week, the NCSC received a number of reports from people who paid for tickets they never received. Particularly at major events such as the Olympic Games and international football tournaments, it is important to be cautious when buying tickets and to observe basic cybersecurity rules.
Week 25: How scammers exploit major events such as the European Football Championship and the Olympics
Cybercriminals often use major events to scam people out of as much money as possible with minimal effort. To do so, they set up fake ticket and fan merchandise websites. In most cases, the offer is simply too good to resist, or the tickets are unavailable elsewhere, or only available in limited numbers. Victims of these scams pay in the hope of receiving the items quickly. But when they don't materialise, hope quickly gives way to disillusionment.
Last week, the NCSC was contacted by a man who had bought tickets for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris for just under CHF 2,000 on an official-looking website. The confirmation email arrived, but the man is still waiting for his tickets. The website looks professional and is the second sponsored result on Google after the official website when searching for 'Paris Olympiade tickets'. The website does not claim to sell tickets directly, but is a 'ticket marketplace' where people can buy and sell tickets. Although it claims that purchases are secure and can only be made by authorised buyers, the terms and conditions state that the 'website operators' have no control over the quality, legality, or even existence of tickets. Google has since categorised the website as dangerous.
The scam described above is not an isolated incident: according to the French police, more than 200 dubious ticket websites have been identified so far. Of these, 51 were shut down and 140 received official notifications from the police.
UEFA Euro 2024 fans also targeted
Fans of the European Football Championship must also be careful. A case of ticket fraud was reported to the NCSC last week in which the scammers took a similar approach to the one described above. The website suggests that it is an official point of sale. However, the terms and conditions point out that the tickets come from individual sellers. And apparently, in many cases, these sellers do not deliver. Sites like this often have poor ratings – a quick way to know that caution is advised.
Before any purchase, check out the online merchant in detail. Customer reviews can help you to get a better picture of the provider. The NCSC also recommends buying tickets through official channels only, and to be careful with your credit card information and personal data, which can be misused by scammers.
Recommendations
- Only buy tickets from official sales points;
- Before any purchase, check out the online merchant in detail. Customer reviews can help you to get a better picture of the provider;
- If you find that you have given your credit card information to a dubious site, contact your credit card company so they can take action;
- You can report suspicious or bogus webshops to the NCSC online (https://www.report.ncsc.admin.ch);
- File a criminal complaint with the cantonal police if you do not receive the tickets you ordered or if you receive counterfeit tickets;
- For more advice on buying and selling online, visit the NCSC website: Buying and selling online;
- The NCSC website also has information about dubious webshops: Dubious webshop;
Current statistics
Last week's reports by category:
Last modification 25.06.2024
