The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection sent out a reminder today to Wisconsin Badgers fans and others planning to attend the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship this weekend in Indianapolis: Only buy tickets from people or businesses you know and trust.
“Demand for Final Four tickets is huge, and scammers know fans are willing to pay anything for a ticket,” said Sandy Chalmers, DATCP assistant deputy secretary. “If you’re buying from a reseller, make sure policies on refunds or cancellations are clearly stated and are acceptable to you.”
The DATCP particularly pointed to Craigslist and other classified ads as frequent sources of fraudulent ticket offers. If it seems too good to be true or requires payment by wire transfer or pre-paid debit card, be wary, the department said.
The DATCP recommends dealing with “official” ticket sources including NCAA.com, PrimeSport, NCAA Ticket Exchange, or the ticket offices of participating schools.
Tickets to the championship have security marks that can’t be reproduced. The DATCP recommends buying tickets with a credit card to assure fraud protection, being cautious in giving out financial information, buying tickets through a secure site, asking for a copy of the tickets before making payment, and completing any in-person deals at a police station.
