SAN ANTONIO \u2013 With the FIFA World Cup drawing fans from around the globe, experts are warning travelers to be on high alert for increasingly sophisticated scams targeting fans eager to attend matches.<\/p>\n
From fake vacation rentals to counterfeit tickets, artificial intelligence is helping scammers create fraudulent websites that closely resemble legitimate booking platforms and official ticket sellers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re seeing a lot of very well-created sites,\u201d said Emily Griffin, Director of Financial Crimes Practice at Moody\u2019s. \u201cThey\u2019re using AI to generate what would look like completely legitimate bookings, whether they\u2019re spoofing a real hotel, creating a new one or creating a fake Airbnb listing.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to Griffin, scammers are using AI-generated photos, realistic confirmation emails and customer service chatbots that make victims believe they are interacting with legitimate customer service representatives.<\/p>\n
In some cases, travelers don\u2019t realize they\u2019ve been scammed until they arrive at their destination, only to discover there is no hotel reservation waiting for them.<\/p>\n
Because FIFA World Cup tickets are so expensive, Griffin said scammers often create websites that closely imitate official FIFA pages, making it difficult to spot fraudulent sites at first glance.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt could be FIFA, but with a third \u2018F\u2019 in it. It could be instead of FIFA.com, it\u2019s FIFA.co.net,\u201d Griffin said. \u201cAt first glance, it looks like you\u2019re going to the correct site, but it\u2019s really not. Many of these sites have very convincing-looking graphics.\u201d<\/p>\n
Experts recommend purchasing World Cup tickets only through FIFA\u2019s official ticketing platform or other trusted, authorized sellers.<\/p>\n
Griffin also advises consumers to be skeptical of deals that seem unusually inexpensive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think the major thing to realize is, if it looks too good to be true, it\u2019s going to be,\u201d Griffin said.<\/p>\n
Griffin also encourages travelers to verify websites before making purchases.<\/p>\n
\u201cVerify the information, verify it\u2019s a trusted site,\u201d Griffin said.<\/p>\n
Experts say fans should be especially cautious if a seller offers tickets well below market value or requests payment through peer-to-peer payment services such as Venmo, Cash App, Zelle or wire transfers. Requests for bank account information should also be treated as a major red flag.<\/p>\n
Read also:<\/p>\n
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