Fraudsters have created a nightmare for Australian fans, with a flurry of scams attempting to cash in on the Matildas’ FIFA Women’s World Cup success.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has received reports that excited fans are being tricked with fake tickets and dodgy livestream links to matches.

ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said scams were particularly evident on Facebook.

“Understandably, Australians are inspired by the phenomenal success of the Matildas, but fans should be very careful when last-minute ticket shopping for hugely popular events such as the World Cup finals,” Ms Lowe said in a statement.

“We are already seeing initial reports of scam activity, particularly on Facebook, where scammers are responding to posts from people looking for tickets and using compromised accounts to sell non-existent tickets.”

With the nation in a frenzy ahead of the anticipated clash, all eyes remain on star Sam Kerr and whether her injured calf will permit her much game time.

Coach Tony Gustavsson said Kerr had played more than expected during the defeat of France on Saturday, but had recovered well.

Gustavsson said Kerr was definitely “available” to play against England on Wednesday night.

In another major hint, Kerr was seen out and about taking part in the Matildas’ match day team walk in Sydney.

Tweet from @TheMatildas

Scammers target Matildas fans

Even though the Matildas semi-final game against England on Wednesday night is sold out, scammers have been trying to directly contact consumers on social media to say they have tickets available for sale.

FIFA actually locks tickets to individual accounts on its phone app, which makes this type of ticket scalping impossible in the first place.

But despite that, the scam messages are often accompanied by a fake screenshot purporting to show valid tickets, the ACCC warned.

“There have also been reports of scammers claiming there is a problem with the payment and asking for it to be made again,” Ms Lowe said.

With the Matildas game sold out, many people are also looking to access online streams of Wednesday night’s match — and scammers have been active there too.

Ms Lowe said reports have flowed in about dodgy links that purport to be showing a stream of the match, but when clicked begin asking for all sorts of personal data.

“This is a relatively new scam that has been circulating on social media, where would-be spectators are prompted to click a link and enter their credit card details to subscribe to the live-streaming service,” Ms Lowe said.

“In most cases, scammers steal the credit card details and fail to deliver the content signed up for.”

There are only two official online streams in Australia for the Matildas semi-final on Wednesday night.

Optus Sport (subscription needed) and 7Plus (free-to-air) will broadcast the game online.

But many Australians plan to watch in other ways too, with tens of thousands of people expected to attend public venues and sporting stadiums across the country to watch in groups.

That includes the FIFA Fan Festival at Sydney’s Tumbalong Park, where more than 202,000 people have already enjoyed the site’s food, games and music throughout the tournament.

In Melbourne, AAMI Park will be transformed from a sports stadium to live site, with the must-win game broadcast on the big screen.

In Perth, thousands are expected to descend on Forrest Place in the CBD and Perth Rectangular Stadium to watch hometown hero and Matildas star Sam Kerr.

Dozens of other fan zones have been set up across the country, while millions of viewers will tune in to the semi-final from home or their local pub.

For those watching at home, Optus Sport (subscription needed) and 7Plus will be streaming the matches online.

-with AAP