As high school football returns this week, fans of local teams should be aware of spam posts promoting video or audio streams of their favorite teams.
These posts circle on social media giving details about a broadcast of a local team, providing a link where fans can watch or listen to the team’s broadcast.
If you click the link, it will take you to a page where you’re asked to create an account to watch the game.
“Some of these pages are very convincing,” says Voice of the Kosciusko Whippets Breck Riley. “It has all the looks of a real web page that is broadcasting the promoted game, but make no mistake, it is not legit. It’s basically a phishing scam that is just looking to get an email/password or other private information from you.”
Spams links are usually posted as comments on Facebook or they might be a post from a page or account set up to look like it’s affiliated with a recognized brand like the MHSAA or NFHS.
“A lot of times these posts promise video coverage of the game,” said Riley. “The people behind these scams prey on folks wanting to find a way to watch the game, especially early in the season when many may choose not to attend in person due to the heat.”
Riley says if you are ever in doubt about whether a post is legitimate or not, it’s best to stick with the broadcast team you know or to contact the school to find out how to watch or listen to whichever game you are wanting to follow.
“Dance with the one who brought you. And by that I mean, when it comes to Kosciusko and Leake Academy, Boswell Media Sports is the ONLY place you need to go for the games. We will have radio and online audio coverage of both teams throughout the season.”
