BOWLING GREEN, Ohio — A Bowling Green man is out cash and concert tickets after falling victim to a scammer on Facebook.
In a report filed Monday, the victim told Bowling Green police that he contacted "Jim Fakeman" through Facebook a day earlier for a ticket exchange. Fakeman was selling three tickets to a Taylor Swift concert. The victim had two Taylor Swift tickets that he bought for $75 each.
Fakeman agreed to exchange his three tickets for the victim's two tickets plus an additional $150. The victim transferred the tickets to Fakeman through Ticketmaster and the cash through Cash App. After that, Fakeman stopped communicating and did not hold up his end of the deal.
The victim tried to call and text Fakeman but didn't receive a response. He provided an email for Fakeman, "jimmalama941@gmail.com," to the police. The victim also told police that he had asked Fakeman if that was his real last name and Fakeman had replied "Fred."
A database search did not find anyone by the name of Jim Fakeman in Ohio, the police report said, but a James Fred was found in Dayton. Police said an attempt will be made to subpoena Facebook, Cash App and Google for further account information on the suspect.
The case is under investigation.
If you're looking to grab tickets, the first step is to make sure a ticket re-seller is legitimate. The website VerifiedTicketSource.com will help you check out the legitimacy of major ticket re-sellers.
If you're buying off Facebook, take a second look. Experts warn if the seller's profile was newly created or rarely posts, the person might not be legitimate.
Never send money as “friends and family” on PayPal. Always send as “goods and services.” That protects you in case of a scam.
And of course, trust your instincts. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
