DETROIT, Michigan. — It’s Monday, which means we are on scam alert. Today’s warning is for Detroit Lions fans looking to score some merchandise this regular season.
“Especially as these teams are doing well, hitting home runs and getting all these touchdowns, people are thinking, 'I want to capture this moment and get the best items,'” Nakia Mills with the BBB of Michigan said. “But once again, sadly, scammers know that.”
This scam can look a couple of different ways. Mills tells me that sometimes, a fan will see a signed jersey or photo on social media, reach out, place an order, pay, and even receive a confirmation email, only never to see the merchandise. They quickly learn the company doesn’t even exist. Other times, fans receive a game-issued item instead of a game-used item.
“You have to be careful because there's game-issued and then there's an actual one that's worn,” Mills said. “So you might think, 'Oh, I'm getting this jersey that Jared Goff actually wore last week,' but it might be one that was made and issued, which he never really wore, and someone might try to sell it as such.”
As always, there are ways you can make sure you don’t fall for one of these scams. The BBB of Michigan has provided FOX 17 with the following tips to spot the scam:
- Never give control of your computer to a third party unless you are absolutely sure it is a representative of a computer support team with whom you initiated contact. Legitimate tech support companies do not make unsolicited phone calls. A popular way for thieves to get in touch with victims is through cold calls. The callers often claim to be from a tech company. Scammers can spoof official-looking phone numbers, so don’t trust Caller ID.
- Look out for warning screens. Nearly half of tech support scams begin with an alert on the victim's computer screen. This pop-up will have a phone number to call for help. Instead, disconnect from the internet and Wi-Fi by shutting off the device. Restart it and run an antivirus scan.
- Be wary of sponsored links. When searching online for tech support, look for sponsored ads at the top of the results list. Many of these links lead to businesses that scam consumers.
- Avoid clicking on links in unfamiliar emails. Scammers also use email to reach victims. These messages point consumers to scam websites that launch pop-ups with fake warnings and phone numbers.
