Live Event Ticket Scams: How to Play Strong Defense Against Event Ticket Scammers

Other ticket fraud perpetrators will send would-be eventgoers a QR code that purports to contain the ticket, but instead contains malicious software meant to infect their device.5

In-person ticket fraud

So-called "ticket scalpers" lingering outside stadiums have long been the original sports event ticket scammers, though the extent of their fraud is an alarmingly high price for real tickets. Technology now super-charges in-person ticket fraud outside events to include the sale of fake physical and digital tickets.

A couple trying to attend a college football game in Florida lost $5,000 to men they met at the stadium.7 The couple paid digitally and received the ticket transfer online. Even though the scammers were immediately apprehended (after fleeing on foot and being subdued by angry fans!) and charged, the couple's Venmo payment was not returned.

Social media ticket fraud

Like Roth's experience above, social media is a common place for secondhand event ticket sales — and scams — to occur. Scammers will use Facebook Marketplace or Groups to lure sports fans looking for tickets. When a potential buyer inquires about the tickets, the scammer typically chats with them for a bit through private messaging, just like a genuine seller would. Once the victim decides to buy, the scammer requests payment through a non-refundable channel like Zelle or a wire transfer, and either never deliver the tickets or deliver counterfeit ones.

Scammers leverage social media to target niche audiences with scams customized to specialized ticketing platforms. For example, a University of Michigan (U-M) website explains how scammers used spoofed @mich.edu email addresses and stolen student IDs to make fraudulent Wolverines football ticket sales through the university's digital ticketing system.

How to Protect Yourself From Event Ticket Scams

To protect yourself from scams — and ensure you get into that game or concert you're hoping to see — follow these tips:

• Buy tickets through the event's official sales channel, even for resale options. This could be the venue itself or an established company.8 When using third-party ticket resale sites, read the policies carefully and proceed with caution.
  
  
• Check out the ticket seller. Look for the company's Better Business Bureau (BBB) listing and make sure they are a part of the National Association of Ticket Brokers, or NATB, at VerifiedTicketSource.com. The (BBB) serving Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky, for example, has warned Titans (NFL) and Memphis Grizzlies (NBA) fans about ticket and merchandise scams.
  
  
• Be skeptical of anyone reselling tickets on any platform, especially for big games and concerts that have sold out.6 Assume anyone could be a scammer and proceed with caution.
  
  
• Pay ticket sellers with a credit card with refund protection. Peer-to-peer payments via services like Zelle or PayPal are often non-refundable.
  
  
• Never buy a ticket on social media with the barcode visible. The ticket data may have already been stolen without the seller realizing it.
  
  
• Never buy tickets from a seller who promises the photo of the ticket's QR or bar code will get you access to the event.
  
  
• Consider any tickets with significantly higher or lower prices than market value to be highly suspicious.

What To Do If You're the Victim of a Ticket Scam

If you've been the victim of a live event ticket scam, you are, unfortunately, in good company. Scammers prey on fans' enthusiasm to support their team or see their favorite band live — and the sense of urgency created by any ticketed event with limited available seats. File a police report with your local law enforcement agency, the Federal Trade Commission, and the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center.9, 10

To further protect yourself and your finances from harm, follow the steps outlined in our article, "What to Do if You Are a Victim of Fraud."