Authorities urge Eagles fans to be skeptical of Super Bowl scams
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- An estimated $16 billion will be wagered for bets on the Super Bowl. Odds are, those looking for a quick buck will be in the crowd.
They're scammers, according to police, looking for a piece of the action.
One such post on Facebook drew people's attention.
A raffle for two tickets to the Super Bowl and travel expenses. All for $65 for a spot.
Some people reached out to CBS News Philadelphia saying this sounded too good to be true.
The language was aggressive. It didn't make sense and some eyebrows were raised.
One woman sent CBS News Philadelphia a message saying this guy is offering for a $65 raffle for a chance at a $14,000 Eagles package.
"Something's off," she wrote.
She concluded that it didn't look right "pretty much right away."
One woman who asked to remain anonymous said the rules appeared to keep changing.
"As soon as I saw it, I thought 'red flags' and I was gonna keep an eye on it," she said.
The organizer even wrote that funds from the raffle would benefit the Eagles Autism Foundation.
The Eagles told CBS News Philadelphia they've never heard of it, and say the organizer is "not a participant in the Eagles Autism Challenge and has no past engagement as a donor or participant."
CBS News Philadelphia investigations confirmed Delaware County law enforcement shut down the raffle on Tuesday after we contacted them to ask if it was legitimate.
Sources say the organizer was ordered to refund any money collected, and that charges were not expected to be filed.
As a result, we are withholding the person's identity.
"We hear about it too late when the money is already gone," Haverford Township Police Chief John Viola said.
He has no connection to the case but urged people to be skeptical.
"Anytime you see these offers online, you have to have your radar up," Viola said. "This is a potential scam. Anytime somebody is offering free trips on social media, somebody is making money they shouldn't be."
