PENNSYLVANIA, USA — During the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools started streaming their football, baseball and other games online. However, scams followed.
Scammers will try to capture personal information, including credit card and Social Security numbers, as fans try to log in to watch their favorite teams.
Streaming scams will present themselves as free searchable links, but once clicked, the site will ask you to sign up for the streaming service. The victim will enter their name and email and may be prompted to enter their credit card number and other potentially sensitive information.
Scammers have infiltrated social media with links to fake streams. The posts will frequently tag local schools involved in order to make the post seem more legitimate.
The scammer hope the victim will enter their information and pay to watch the event, however, the victim will be unable to watch the stream even after their information is entered because the scammer does not have a valid link to the stream. Instead, the data the victim just entered can be compromised.
Here are some quick tips on how to stay safe online:
- Do your research. If you come across a website you haven’t dealt with before, research it before entering any information. Look for reviews and feedback from previous customers.
- Make online purchases with your credit card. Fraudulent charges on a credit card can usually be disputed, whereas that might not be the case with other payment methods. Unfortunately, there is no way to get back the personal information you may have shared.
- Check a site’s security settings. If the site is secure, its URL (web address) should start with “HTTPS://.” You may also see a picture of a small closed lock in the screen's lower right-hand corner.
- Be cautious clicking on links included in social media posts, unsolicited text messages, or emails. Clicking on unfamiliar links can place you at risk for malware or identity theft.
If you’ve spotted a scam (whether or not you’ve lost money), report it. Your report can help others avoid falling victim to scams.
Read more about spotting fake social media accounts here.
