HARRISBURG — Attorney General Dave Sunday is warning football fans — and other sports fans — to be cautious when purchasing game tickets online, as scammers will target consumers hoping to watch their favorite teams at the stadium.
The NFL and NCAA football seasons are in full swing and the Philadelphia Phillies are bound for another playoff run, so Attorney General Sunday and our Bureau of Consumer Protection are warning fans to temper their excitement while searching for game tickets.
With many events already sold out, buyers are advised to engage with sellers they know personally or have bought from in the past.
When dealing with reputable secondary market sellers, like Ticketmaster or StubHub, be sure you are on those companies’ platforms — and not buying from a scammer who created a website to mimic the real thing.
“Sports fans are passionate and want to see their beloved teams in person — but we are advising consumers to be very careful when purchasing tickets from secondary markets online,” Attorney General Sunday said. “Tickets to Eagles and Steelers games are in very high demand, and scammers use that to their advantage.”
While the Office of Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection has only received a few complaints so far this season, the opportunities for scammers will increase.
“Now that the Phillies have clinched the NL East, this is yet another opportunity for scammers to take advantage of fans who want to witness the playoffs live at the Bank,” Attorney General Sunday said.
We offer these suggestions to avoid being scammed:
- Always treat someone selling tickets to a popular sports event with skepticism since these events are likely to be sellouts.
- If you do buy from an individual, it should be someone you know personally, such as a relative, close friend, or coworker.
- Unless you know a seller personally, never pay for tickets with a peer-to-peer payment service — such as Zelle, Venmo, PayPal, CashApp or a wire transfer. If the person turns out to be a scammer, you won’t be able to get your money back (these apps don’t have the same consumer protections that credit cards do).
- When you are shopping for tickets, check the venue’s floor chart for the event to make sure that the section and seat number actually exist.
- When buying tickets from a reputable seller, such as Ticketmaster or StubHub, make sure that the URL is the correct one, and not for a look-alike site created by a scammer.
To report a scam, or if you believe you have been scammed, file a complaint at www.attorneygeneral.gov or by calling 717-787-3391.
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