It’s officially World Cup final weekend, and anyone with hopes of watching the match in person should be prepared to spend thousands — and be aware of scams. As Spain and Argentina prepare to play Sunday at MetLife Stadium, ticket prices on major resale platforms are soaring. Ticketmaster lis tings started around $7,900, with some seats reaching $35,000. On SeatGeek, one ticket was listed for more than $44,000. StubHub listings were at nearly $48,000. For most fans, those prices are well out of reach. Some fans had much lower limits when it came to how much they would be willing to spend on a ticket. “I would say maybe like $5,000 max, even though I don’t have $5,000 to spend on a World Cup ticket,” said Lia Prosperino, from New York. Others wouldn’t even go that high. “I couldn’t even go above a thousand, just to keep it real,” said Bobby Price, who was visiting from Florida. With high demand for tickets, experts warn fans to be cautious when buying online, saying unusually low prices may be a sign of a scam. “If it sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true. That that is the golden rule on all of these. I’ve seen these scams over 25 years, and they’re always the same path,” said Dan Farrow, an attorney at a law firm provider for Legal Shield. Farrow recommends avoiding tickets sold through social media and being careful about how you pay. “The platforms typically are going to be Venmo, PayPal, any of those type things. That money’s gone once you click the button. The best advice I can give you on payment would be to use a credit card,” said Farrow. Fans should also remember that tickets must be transferred through FIFA’s official app before entering the stadium. Experts recommend taking screenshots of listings before purchasing and keeping records of any communication with sellers. If a ticket turns out to be fraudulent, buyers should contact their credit card company immediately and report the incident to authorities. “So the next best recourse would be to complain to a government official, either your local district attorney, the police, because it is a crime. It is a crime. It’s as though they stuck a gun in your face and took the money out of your pocket,” said Dan Farrow. If you’re planning to buy a ticket, experts recommend sticking to well-known resale websites. FIFA also operates an official ticket exchange marketplace, while sites like Ticketmaster and StubHub offer protections for buyers. ...read more read less