Fraudsters are using online auction sites to flog football fans fake World Cup paraphernalia.
British-based online auction site Huntforit said it has witnessed a surge of people attempting to cash-in on this summer’s World Cup action. Huntforit said it has taken down hundreds of items of counterfeit merchandise, such as shirts, footballs and photos allegedly signed by the England team, in the last two weeks alone.
Huntforit chairman and CEO, Rikki Hunt said the auctions it had put a stop to could have raked the fraudsters in tens of thousands of pounds.
Duncan Thomson, Head of FA Division for UMBRO, official kit supplier to the Football Association, said: "Fans should exercise caution when bidding for any signed merchandise.
"Officially signed product should always be accompanied by a certificate of authentication to prove it is genuine and fans should always ask to see a copy of this before buying anything.
"It’s also important to check that the shirt itself is genuine by looking for the authentication hologram which is built into the product."
Although for buyers, checking for holograms and genuine certificates is easier said than done with an online sale, Rikki Hunt said the World Cup memorabilia sold through its auctions would be checked as far as possible for authenticity
"These people with no morals, who are trying to con genuine footie fans out of money, will not get away with it on Huntforit as we take every measure possible to police our site.
"England fans can feel safe in the knowledge that any item on Huntforit will be sold with a certificate of authentication to prove it’s the real deal."
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