The Wisconsin Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning fans to beware of potential scams selling fake tickets to the Green Bay Packers’ playoff game in San Francisco Saturday.
The opportunity for sports fans to be scammed by fake ticket sellers occurs most often when people buy tickets from individuals outside the stadium, on the street or through online auctions, classified ads and bulletin boards, the BBB said.
“We are warning sports fans, they can get burned by purchasing counterfeit tickets or paying in advance for tickets that never actually arrive,” said Randall Hoth, Wisconsin BBB president and chief executive officer.
The secondary market for sporting and entertainment tickets is a $10 billion a year industry. It includes tickets bought and sold by professional brokers as well as those purchased and resold by speculators and season ticket holders.
“The Internet has become the arena of choice for sports fans looking to buy or sell tickets,” Hoth said. “Unfortunately, it also has become a breeding ground for scammers looking to take advantage of sports fans.”
The BBB’s database at www.bbb.org includes reputable, secondary market ticket firms that provide buyer protections, including money-back guarantees if tickets are fake. On some sites, sellers also must provide credit-card numbers so the site can charge a seller’s card for the cost of replacement tickets if they sell fake tickets.
