INDIANAPOLIS — Before fans get caught up in the March Madness excitement, the Better Business Bureau is warning of another group excited for the tournament - scammers.
They're looking to steal money through several different scams. The big one is ticket scams, and the scalping market continues to grow.
Last year, nearly 2,000 complaints had been filed with the BBB concerning ticket sales in the U.S.
Scammers are also sending phishing emails, asking fans to click on a link to select their bracket. Once clicked, it takes people to a website that looks like a team site. Then, it asks for a log-in through a Gmail, Facebook or another social media account, to steal personal information.
Scammers also take advantage of people looking to buy new gear, like t-shirts and hats.
"And they will put websites out there. Two things happen, number one, it'll either be a fake website where you'll spend your money, and you're not going to get your hat, and you're not going to get your jersey," Tim Maniscalo, BBB President and CEO, said. "Or... you'll get an item that's not really the quality that you want."
The best way to avoid these scams is to keep an eye on the URL bar when going to a site. If there is not an 'S' after 'HTTP' that website may not be secure. A small padlock next to the URL also indicates a site has extra security and will be a safe bet for tickets, clothes or filling out your bracket.
