How to Avoid Super Bowl Ticket Fraud

When Super Bowl fever hits, you’ll be in a frenzy trying to buy tickets—you’ll grab them from anyone at almost any price. If you don't know the seller, you risk falling victim to ticket fraud—you might end up with counterfeit tickets or no tickets at all. Online auction scams routinely top the Internet Fraud Watch’s list of top 10 Internet scams—people who fall victim to such scams lose an average of more than $450.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A computer and Internet connection, plus a PayPal account if you buy online

1. Avoid buying tickets on eBay from new sellers. By the same token, if an eBay seller has a long history of satisfied customers, you’re probably safe to buy from them.
2. Avoid eBay sellers who say they’ll have eBay send you “verification” of their seller status. eBay does not do this, and a seller who says they can provide this verification is a scammer.
3. Avoid buying tickets from a seller who is not located in the U.S., particularly if the ad text is poorly written and full of errors.
4. Avoid buying tickets if the seller asks you to pay via Western Union, cashier’s check or something similar. If you end up getting scammed, you are responsible for covering the costs, not the person who scammed you. PayPal is the safest way to pay if you’re buying online.
5. Ask for photos of the tickets and check them very carefully. Copy the picture and paste it into an image editing tool (such as MS Paint)—zoom in to check the smaller details and compare your photo with real tickets.
6. Don’t assume that tickets are included if you buy a Super Bowl travel package. Check with the operator to make sure tickets are included and note that if the package you buy includes tickets and you don’t receive them, you are entitled to a full refund.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to buy tickets from someone in your area. If you can meet the seller face-to-face to carry out the purchase, your chances of being scammed are virtually zero. Failing that, talk to the person you’re dealing with over the phone.
• Beware of ticket scalpers if you try to purchase on the day of the game. A common scam is to resell tickets that have already been used. There’s no way of finding out if a ticket is used, so be wary of scalpers who offer you a price that seems too good to be true. In fact, it’s better to avoid scalpers altogether.
• You are not protected under any circumstances if you buy tickets using Western Union or another wire transfer service. If you are buying from an individual seller, use PayPal—if they say they can’t use PayPal, don’t buy from them.