Scammers change with the market. Moments of Opportunity arise and there are always people who are anxious to separate us from our money. They become more sophisticated with time and as opportunities present.
Did you know that Willie Nelson was at The Pavilion at Star Lake? Blues Fest was held this past weekend in Wheeling. The Rolling Stones will be at Heinz Field in October. The Steelers just won their first pre-season game. Concerts and sporting events are being held all over the place and ticket sales are up significantly from the previous two years. People are getting out more socially. There is an increase in demand for tickets. Many venues accept only digital tickets. These have all opened doors for scammers.
The Better Business Bureau is warning us about the Ticketmaster scam. You’re looking for tickets to an event that was cancelled due to Covid or looking to transfer the tickets. You search your web browser for Ticketmaster results, and you click on the site that says Ticketmaster. Or so you think. Going through the website, everything looks legit. You enter your information. Did it go well? Maybe not. You may get tickets with someone else’s name or you may not get any tickets at all. Or, you may get tickets but the site charges you a higher rate.
Was it really a Ticketmaster site? You look at the information and you weren’t dealing with Ticketmaster. It was a site that looked like the real deal but obviously wasn’t. Did customer service help? Probably not. You may have been unable to reach them, they may be unhelpful if you DO reach them, or they may be aggressive.
The best bet is to be proactive in avoiding being scammed in the first place!
Purchase from the venue. Go directly to the venue, either in person or through its website. This is the most secure way of buying tickets. You may be directed to finish the transaction through Ticketmaster or another provider, but the link should be direct.
Check out the seller. We’ve all met scalpers when we’ve gone to concerts or sporting events. The Better Business Bureau partners with the National Association of Ticket Brokers which enables you to check ticket providers.
Watch out for fake websites. These are everywhere and cover everything from banking to ticket sales and everything in between. Imposter sites have similar URLs but there may be misspellings or domain names that are similar or logos that mimic the original with only slight differences. Pay attention to the website.
What payment method do you use? A credit card is preferred because you can dispute fraudulent charges and have a better chance of getting your money back.
Anyone of any age can get caught up by these ticket scams. Be cautious and do your homework.
Stay safe!
