Alert issued for Olympic scams

More than 10,000 athletes and 15 million visitors are about to converge on Paris.

Security experts say a major international sporting event like the Olympics can become prime time for cyber criminals.

“Anything that has grabbed national attention, has a big audience and an audience that may not necessarily know exactly how to get legitimate information about this issue or this event — that is the scammer’s sweet spot,” said Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center, a nonprofit that assists victims of identity crimes.

The center is warning consumers to be on high alert right now.

“The scammers are going to use things like fake websites, email solicitations for deals, travel deals, or to get tickets, or even to sell merchandise,” explained Velasquez.

It’s already happening. According to a report by Proofpoint cybersecurity company, the French police have identified and begun to dismantle more than 300 phony websites selling tickets to Olympic events.

Velasquez tells consumers to watch out for unsolicited emails about the games. She says if consumers click on phony links, their personal information may be exposed.

“That’s really the end goal of a lot of these scams — hoover up your PII so that they can misuse it in other areas,” said Velasquez.

To avoid 2024 Olympic scams, only purchase merchandise from trusted websites, ignore any social media direct messages that you didn’t initiate. and don’t be tempted by special offers, like a computer pop-up touting an Olympic sweepstakes. Experts say if an offer involving the Olympics looks too good to be true, it probably is.

If you think you are the victim of identity theft, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) online at www.IdentityTheft.gov , or call 1-877-438-4338.

Contact the three major credit reporting agencies, Equifax, TransUnion and Experian, and ask them to place fraud alerts and a credit freeze on your accounts.

Make sure to alert the fraud department at your credit card issuers, bank and other places where you have accounts.

For more information, https://www.idtheftcenter.org/.

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