Americans are expected to wager a record 1.39 billion dollars on the Super Bowl. 

North Carolina sports bettors wagered more than $5 billion in 2024 and scammers want to get their piece.

“They know that people are using their emotions to make decision right now and they can prey on those emotions,” senior security architect Patrick McNeil said.

McNeil said people should always use licensed, reputable sites.

Check ncgaming.gov for approved operators. Legit sites like DraftKings and BetMGM display their licenses. DraftKings even shows its North Carolina license on its homepage. But be cautious, AI makes it easier for scammers to create convincing fakes.

In many cases it is difficult to tell if you are on the right website, so instead of clicking on the link of a site that looks legit – actually go to NFL.com or the betting sites directly. 

If an alleged spots betting site contacts you, be suspicious and delete it, by just clicking you can get malware on your phone or on your computer.

Often, it’s hard to know if you’ve been scammed immediately, so keep watch of your credit card transactions and bank accounts, which can tip you off to suspicious patterns or purchases. And if you are betting don’t spend beyond your means. And remember that if an offer seems to good to be true, it probably is.