How scammers are targeting Olympic fans

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The 2024 Summer Olympic Games are upon us.

The eyes of the world will be upon the city of Paris, the iconic venues, and the world-class competition, but amidst all the sights and sounds is the potential for scams.

“Of course, scammers take advantage of current trends,” Judy Dollison, president of the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio, said.

Trends, headlines, or big events, the BBB of Central Ohio said scammers consistently use them to their advantage, and one of the biggest and most watched events of the year will be the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.

It wouldn't be the first time a con artist used the competition to trick consumers. The BBB said several scams were reported to its scam tracker during previous games such as job opportunities, links to watch events, and ads for merchandise.

"A lot of the scammers are approaching through ads on social media,” Dollison said.

Ads on Facebook or Instagram may seem legitimate but could be fake, offering merchandise that doesn’t exist.

“We always say, ‘if something seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Dollison said. “So, if you see a really good price on something, if it just doesn’t seem right, I would avoid it.”

But if you just have to have it, use a credit card.

"They offer additional protections, that if there's a product that you don't receive, or it's not as advertised, you can have additional recourses to get your money back,” Dollison said.

And if you want to watch the Games on anything but cable, make sure the source is legitimate.

"This happened a lot during the pandemic,” Dollison said. “We saw where the streaming service wasn't real, they were collecting your data, and they were installing malware. So, you're not only out your information, your money, you're not getting the game that you signed up for and you potentially have a virus on your computer.”

Speaking of malware, there are also concerns that scammers are putting a new twist on an old tactic – the fake emergency scam, also known as the grandparent scam. A scammer hacks someone's email account, and shortly after, sends the same message to that person's contacts, something to the effect of, “I'm over in Paris and my wallet was stolen! Can anyone help me out by sending gift cards?"

“Anything online has a potential for malware,” Dollison said. “You know, in general, we say, ‘Don't click on links that are unfamiliar or unsolicited.’ If it sounds like it’s coming from a friend, pick up the phone and call that friend and say, ‘Was this really you?’ before you engage in that service.”