For the lucky few who plan on attending the London 2012 Olympics, there are a few things to keep an eye out for regarding purchasing your tickets. Firstly, tickets for this Summer Olympics are available exclusively on the official London 2012 Olympics website and its appointed ticketing partners.
The London 2012 Olympics organization acknowledges the importance of online security and encourages internet users to act prudently when purchasing tickets online. It is strongly advised to use an online website checker to make sure the site you end up using is in fact an Authorized Ticket Reseller.
Many fake companies claim to be in any way ‘well-connected’ to the London 2012 Olympics and assure you they can get you in. We at Scambook urge you to take precautionary steps to ensure these companies and tickets you plan to purchase are in fact legitimate.
Scams to watch out for during the Games
Phishing Emails
Scammers are persuading you to submit personal information or submit an upfront payment in order for them to release a prize. The email will be fashioned as a lottery for free tickets, urging you to “act now” by clicking a link to a website designed to capture your personal details or automatically download malware to your computer.
As official as these scammers may sound, like Dr. V. Beavis from the London Olympics Event Awareness and Promotion Company, don’t be tempted to fall for the £1,000,000,000 cash prize and tickets to the Games.
The more convincing phishing emails are the ones claiming huge corporations such as Proctor & Gamble and Coca Cola are sponsors for the 2012 Summer Games.
What is Operation Podium?
The Metropolitan Police are determined to putting a halt on any crime associated with the London 2012 Olympic Games through Operation Podium. Operation Podium is the UK’s official means of dedicated response to serious and organized crime affecting the economy of this year’s Games. They are aware of entities like LiveOlympicTickets and their illegal activity. Unfortunately the company is registered outside the UK’s jurisdiction, leaving the Metropolitan Police with their hands tied.
Even though every and all precautions are put into action for the Summer Games, scammers are still sliding their way to the top of your search engines by paying a higher cost per click to advertisers.
Preventative measures to consider
– Check out the site thoroughly. If it has no trading history, no substantive company address, no VAT number on it, don’t go near it.
– Always be suspicious of any email with urgent requests for personal financial information.
– Install anti-virus software.
-Don’t use the links in an email, instant message, or chat to get to any web page if you suspect the message might not be authentic or you don’t know the sender.
– Use a firewall.
With those tips, we hope you enjoy the London 2012 Olympics as much as we do. Cheers!
Have you been a victim of phishing? Let us know and submit a complaint.
See Also
4 Tips That Explain How To Avoid Phishing Scams and Email Spam
New Facebook Phishing Scam Targets Fan Page Owners with Fake Verification Program
How to Protect Yourself From Scams and Identity Theft in the New Year
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