Make sure you don’t get drafted into falling for scams

Many Wisconsinites, football fans and other Americans, already know this year’s NFL Draft will take place in Green Bay, between April 24-26. But, scammers know this, too, and will do everything possible to take advantage of the consumers who are excited for the upcoming draft.

It is important for consumers to know how scammers may try to swindle them, so they can avoid it.

It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of people will visit Green Bay, to attend draft activities. Most of these people will need a place to stay. Some of these visitors will opt to stay at short-term housing rentals, instead of hotels, using platforms like Airbnb, Vrbo, HomeToGo and others, to find lodging.

Despite the best efforts of these platforms, scammers are occasionally able to post fake listings. The listings may be real units the scammer does not own or are entirely fictional.

A consumer can protect themselves by doing the following: • Cross referencing a unit they are considering across multiple platforms. Is it listed on more than one? If so, are the photos the same? Do any other details differ?

• Verifying the property address is legitimate, using a map app prior to booking, if the platform provides that detail. If the address is not available prior to booking, verify the property address immediately upon receiving that information.

• Seeking out reviews on third-party websites and conducting a web search for the property, with words like “scam,” “complaint” or “fake,” to check if anyone has reported on it.

• Practicing caution if asked to move away from the rental listing platform to communicate, confirm details or pay. Scammers often do this to cover their tracks.

• Avoiding paying with non-traditional, non-traceable and non-reversible payment methods, such as cryptocurrency, pre-paid gift cards, wire transfer, cash or banking apps.

General admission to the draft campus, including the free draft experience fan festival, does not require tickets. However, fans should download the NFL OnePass app and register in advance, to gain access to event information and participate in interactive games on-site.

Limited opportunities for paid tickets to certain hospitality, or VIP areas and sections of the draft theater, may be available. Scammers may try to deceive attendees into buying tickets or entering giveaways for fake tickets to either the experience, or alternative ticketed events.

To combat that, only buy tickets for community and VIP events through verifiable, original sources.

Many scams are enabled by fake websites, designed to imitate real platforms that consumers are already familiar with. These imposter websites are tools scammers use to steal consumers’ money and private information.

They are commonly promoted through texts, emails and online ads, promoting discounts and sales. Imposter websites may sell low-quality, knock-off merchandise, and/or record data entered, like passwords and credit card numbers.

Before entering personal or payment information, check a website’s address for errors in spelling or formatting. For example, the fictional “ShopPackersProMerch. com” looks similar to, but is different than, the legitimate website “PackersProShop.com.” Do a few minutes of research to verify the real address.

If a user is logged out of a website they use often and are usually logged into automatically, they should double check it is real, before entering their password.

When in doubt, close the tab and type the correct address directly into the search bar.

More information about the draft is available at nfl. com/draftaccess.