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Phishing scams are on the rise and trick sports fans into giving out their personal information, such as bank account numbers, passwords, and credit card numbers.
Australians have been warned to watch out for scams that trick people into giving away personal information by clicking on links to streaming sites for sports events.
Phishing is a type of scam where it often sends a fake email or asks an individual to click a link or download an attachment which can put your personal information at risk and allow the scammer to steal from you.
Scamwatch, an Australian government agency, has issued a warning after a rugby club in New South Wales reported that scammers had posted fake streaming links on their Facebook Page.
The club wrote, “Do not click on the link.” and shared a screenshot of a comment made by an alleged scammer on their Facebook page saying, “This is the official link sky sport for stream (sic) the game.”
Maitland Pickers Rugby League Club wrote, “Plenty of this stuff popping up all over Facebook, sadly out of our control.”
Scamwatch has urged sports fans to be cautious of streaming links that scammers may use to collect sensitive information, as well as encouraging everyone to not click on any links or open attachments from emails from their bank or another trusted organisation and asking them to update or verify their details.
They stated, “Scammers will ask you to register with your credit card to verify your location, but then they’ll take your money.”
“Don’t click on links in comments or give your credit card details.”
According to an Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) spokesperson, there has been a significant rise in phishing scams. They received reports of victims scammed into signing up for sports streaming subscriptions and experiencing issues with automatic re-subscriptions at high prices or the inability to cancel service.
In 2022, Scamwatch received over 74,500 reports of phishing scams, resulting in $24.6 million in reported losses compared to 2021. As of March 19, 2023, there are over 19,800 reports, resulting in $5.2 million and counting.
Scamwatch has encouraged everyone to report scams to the ACCC via the report a scam page to provide valuable information, which helps them warn people about current scams, monitor trends, and take steps to disrupt scams where possible.
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