GREEN BAY, Wis. — With just over a month to go until the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, scammers may try to take advantage of Wisconsinites and football fans alike.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) said there are three major ones to be aware of as you consider lodging, tickets and more.

DATCP offered the following advice for spotting them.

What You Need To Know

  • The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) said there are three major scams to be aware of as you consider lodging, tickets and more for the NFL Draft

  • The agency said to be aware of fake lodging and imposter websites that may steal your information or money

  • The NFL Draft Experience and the campus are free to attendees, so DATCP said to be aware of people trying to sell paid tickets

  • The NFL Draft in Green Bay is from April 24-26

Lodging

Many of those who attend the NFL Draft will need a place to stay. But with hotels being one of the first places to fill up, DATCP said many people may turn to Airbnb, Vrbo, HomeToGo or other rental sites, where scammers might make fake listing. Sometimes, those listings are real units that a scammer doesn’t own; other times, the units are entirely fake.

DATCP said consumers should take these precautions before booking an overnight stay:

  • Cross reference a unit on multiple platforms — check if it’s listed on more than one site, if the photos are the same and if details differ
  • Verify the property address is legitimate using a map app — if the address is not available before booking, verify the property address immediately upon receiving the information
  • Seek out reviews on third-party websites and conduct a web search for the property with words like “scam,” “complaint,” or “fake” to check if anyone has reported on it
  • Be cautious if you’re asked to use another means other than the rental platform to communicate, confirm details or pay
  • Avoid paying with nontraditional, nontraceable and nonreversible payment methods (cryptocurrency, pre-paid gift cards, wire transfer, cash or banking apps)

Tickets

Another scam that many attendees may face is one relating to fake tickets. The NFL Draft Experience is free to attend, though fans must register through the NFL OnePass app in advance. There are limited opportunities for paid tickets, such as to certain hospitality or VIP areas of the Draft Theater. Therefore, any website or person offering tickets for a cost or encouraging fans to enter a giveaway for tickets, may be a scam.

DATCP said you should:

  • Tell others that paid entry tickets are not needed to access the Draft campus or the 2025 Draft Experience
  • Only buy tickets for community and VIP events through verifiable, original sources

Fake websites

The last scam DATCP is urging consumers to be aware of is imposter websites, which are usually designed to imitate real platforms consumers are familiar with. These website allow scammers to steal money and private information from consumers, and are commonly promoted through texts, emails and online ads.

Here are some things DATCP said to consider before giving away information:

  • Check a website’s address for errors in spelling or formatting and do research to verify the address — for example, the fictional “ShopPackersProMerch.com” looks similar to, but is different than, the legitimate website “PackersProShop.com”
  • Double check if a website is real before reentering a password on a site you commonly use and are normally logged into automatically
  • If you have doubts, close the tab and type the correct address directly into the search bar

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