CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Opening Ceremony for the Paris Olympics kicks off Friday, July 26.
While you’re busy cheering for your favorite athletes, the Better Business Bureau said scammers are busy trying to get your data. This could have a big impact on your wallet.
WCNC Charlotte is helping you get ahead so you’re not left asking "where's the money".
The excitement around the Olympics is growing. The BBB said before buying any merch, clicking any links, or streaming any video, take a second to double-check its legitimacy so you don’t end up getting played during the games.
"Anytime there are big events like this, especially the summer games, we know there are going to be scams," Juliana O'Rork with the BBB said.
WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" on stories that impact you. If you need help, reach out to WCNC Charlotte by emailing money@wcnc.com.
She warns that scammers will be in full force for the next few weeks.
"With the Olympics being here, any unsolicited text message, email phone call, just ignore it, you're probably going to be tried to take advantage of," O'Rork said.
And before buying Olympic merchandise, O'Rork said you need to double-check to ensure the website you’re using is BBB-approved.
"We also want to make sure that people are buying merchandise from legitimate retailers," she said. "We want to make sure they're not buying counterfeit products and things of that nature. "
O'Rork said to also watch out for scammers asking you to work for the Olympics.
"We’ve had reports in the past when there were winter games of college students getting emails that if they wrap their vehicle, you know, they could be paid if they went so far," she said.
And if you’re looking to stream your favorite athletes? O'Rork said don’t go around clicking random streaming links
"We've seen faulty streaming links in the past for high school sports, football games, things like that," she explained. "This is no different. So if you see a link for streaming, maybe on social media, just be careful, don't click it right away, hover over it to see if it's legitimate."
The best, and safest way to watch the Olympics is to watch it on TV, right here on WCNC Charlotte.
WCNC Charlotte's Where's The Money series is all about leveling the playing field in the Carolinas by breaking down barriers on news that impacts you. WCNC Charlotte doesn't want our viewers to be taken advantage of, so we’re here to help. Watch previous stories where we ask the question “Where’s the Money” in the YouTube playlist below and subscribe to get updated when new videos are uploaded.