With World Cup soccer underway in Kansas City, Iowans who hope to head south and see a game are being warned about multiple scams.
Khesha Duncan, with the Better Business Bureau, says there are a couple of areas where soccer fans should be especially careful.
“Sports memorabilia and also ticket scams are two to be very wary of,” Duncan says, “or what looks like a too-good-to-be-true ad that pops up on a social media platform that you use a lot, or even in your e-mail or via text.”
Even parking spaces outside Arrowhead Stadium are being subjected to scams, and Duncan urges people to only park in clearly marked areas. As with anything you buy over the internet, she says to make sure you’re on an official website.
“Making sure you don’t quickly pay something without making sure that it’s legitimate,” Duncan says. “I would encourage people also to go directly to the FIFA.com website.”
Some Iowans may choose to make the drive to Kansas City in hopes of buying tickets outside the stadium. If you do so, Duncan says to look at those tickets closely before you hand over the cash.
“They’re all excited. They see somebody with two or three tickets or however many they need — looks like a perfect situation,” she says. “You part company, that’s a short transaction, and then you look down and realize you just purchased tickets to an event that was a year ago, or two years ago, or not even in the same state.”
The first World Cup game was played in Kansas City on Tuesday night, with five more games scheduled — this Saturday, and on June 25th, June 27th, July 3rd and July 11th.
