BBB Advises Consumers to Beware of 2010 Winter Olympics Scams
Austin, TX – With the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver less than a month away, Better Business Bureau warns consumers to look out for scams when searching for tickets and housing accommodations for the games. According to the Association for Computing Machinery, ticket scams accounted for more fraud on eBay than any other merchandise category in 2008.
“The location of the 2010 Winter Olympics will make it possible for many Americans to attend the games,” said Carrie A. Hurt, President and CEO of BBB serving Central, Coastal and Southwest Texas. “Consumers need to be aware of the common scams associated with this popular event.”
The Rental Scam:
Based on past Olympic games, victims typically fall for this scam after they respond to an online classified. In one example, according to a Royal Canadian Mounted Police report, a U.S. group attempted to rent a property from a landlord in Whistler, British Columbia who requested a $2,000 deposit by wire transfer to secure the residence through the 2010 Games. There was an issue with the information provided by the landlord to the renters and Western Union halted the transaction before it could be completed.
BBB Advice:
If the landlord for a rental property is located elsewhere and prefers to communicate via e-mail, consider it a red flag. Scammers are known to say they have just been relocated out of the country for a job or missionary work. Steer clear of any landlord who asks for a money wire through a transfer service, such as Western Union or MoneyGram. Money sent this way is extremely difficult to retrieve, track or recoup if there is a problem.
Online Ticket Scams:
Ticket scams for major events are common and can include selling counterfeit tickets, reselling lost or stolen tickets or selling the same ticket under multiple accounts and postings.
BBB Advice:
If the deal sounds too good to be true, it most likely is. Scammers will often list tickets online for a very low price to lure in victims, so find out how comparable listings are priced. If the ticket seller tries to lure you away from the online exchange, do not pursue the deal. Even if you met the seller on the exchange Web site, the company may not guarantee any lost money if a transaction occurs outside their domain.
For more tips on safe online shopping and to check the reliability of a company in the US or Canada, visit www.bbb.org.