Michigan AG Nessel warns of scams, human trafficking ahead of NFL Draft
(CBS DETROIT) – Large events like this week's NFL Draft are ripe opportunities for criminals, from human trafficking to price gouging and scams. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is tackling the different ways you can protect yourself from becoming a victim.
It starts with two things: be vigilant and do your homework.
"We're just warning people to be careful," Nessel said.
READ: Detroiters welcome visitors to the city for 2024 NFL Draft
One of the main concerns is human trafficking, which tends to increase during high-profile events like the draft, and attendees are being asked to watch for signs of potential victims
"Those can be people who have bruises, cuts, or other kinds of injuries. Maybe they look a little malnourished. Perhaps they're surrounded by people; they're not really doing the talking for themselves. They don't have their own identification, credit cards, or any kind of payments that they can make on their own, just to be concerned and to report it," Nessel said.
People should also be on the lookout for scammers who are trying to take advantage of all the cash that's going to be flowing.
"So make sure that you're looking ahead to make sure these are legitimate activities, legitimate forms of payment, and that you're not just coming down here, seeing a QR code, scanning it, and maybe just losing your money, because it's not a legitimate event, not a legitimate parking lot," Nessel said.
One popular scam is people issuing fake parking tickets, so the Better Business Bureau offered the following advice:
- Know before you park: research available parking and the parking laws because tourists with out-of-state plates are often targets because they know the local laws.
- Examine the citation carefully: scammers can imitate logos and city office names, so do an internet search for the city's official parking ticket websites and compare it to what's found on the ticket.
- Double-check the name checks should be made out to
- Pay traffic citations by credit card when possible: it will be easier to fight fraudulent charges
Public events at the NFL Draft are free; you just need to register by downloading the NFL OnePass app.