DETROIT — The Detroit Lions are set for their first home playoff game in three decades this weekend and tickets are still available. But before you think about grabbing yours, you need to beware of possible scams.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is warning people to take some precautions when purchasing or selling a ticket online.
The hype of the Detroit Lions this season has inflated ticket prices purchased on resale sites and it has also encouraged bad actors to try to scam fans.
“Online ticket sales come with a certain amount of risk. It’s easy for scammers to create a phony screenshot of a ticket that doesn't exist or has previously been sold — possibly more than once,” Nessel said. “If you’re buying tickets to this weekend’s playoff game at Ford Field, make sure the tickets you pay for are authentic and they will actually get you into the game. Only then will you be able to keep your enthusiasm and your finances secure as you defend the den. Let’s go, Lions!”
Nessel warns to be vigilant when purchasing tickets online, especially when using payment apps like Apple Pay, Cash App, Venmo, PayPal and others.
Scams that use these apps will typically look like these examples the AG office provided:
- Scammers impersonating your bank may call to alert you about “suspicious activity” on your account and direct you to send money to yourself or “the bank’s address” to reverse a transaction or to verify the account is not frozen. Your bank will never tell you to send money to anyone, not even yourself.
- Fraudsters claim to represent a fraud department or merchant and ask you to confirm information such as your bank account username and password, credit card or debit card data, or Social Security numbers. Do not share this information — scammers want to create a P2P account with your information, steal your identity, and gain access to your accounts.
- Fraudsters send spoofed emails warning that an account is about to be suspended and that the account holder must enter their password on a spoofed webpage. Generally, payment app vendors will never ask you to enter your password unless you are on the login page.
Nessel is also warning people who are selling their tickets to beware of scammers as well. The AG says that scammers may try to use fake checks to purchase tickets. The scammer will send a fake check that is more than the cost of the tickets and ask the seller to cash the check and refund the difference.
In the scam, you will be out the money you sent to the scammer as well as bank fees and the money from the fake check.
Nessel also provided some general tips for when purchasing tickets online:
- Know your vendor - Make sure you are buying from a reputable website, especially before providing any personal financial information. Anyone can set up a "spoof" website with a web address that is similar to the legitimate ticket seller's address. Aside from potential licensing and trademark violations, "spoof" websites may offer consumers overpriced or counterfeit tickets and expose the consumer to identity theft.
- Do your research - If you are unfamiliar with a particular ticket vendor, you can call the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Team at 877-765-8388 and ask if we have any complaints on file regarding that seller. Remember, however, that the absence of filed complaints does not guarantee a seller's legitimacy; it simply means that we have not received any complaints concerning the vendor. As an additional resource, try researching the ticket seller on the Better Business Bureau's national website.
- Use credit - If you purchase tickets online, especially via an online auction site, it is recommended that you complete your transaction using a credit card. Purchasing tickets with a credit card often provides you with protections that you would not otherwise have if you purchased the tickets using cash, check, or apps like Venmo and Cash App. Added protections with credit include the ability to dispute a charge if an event is canceled, or if you receive counterfeit tickets that a venue refuses to honor. Try to choose sellers with long histories of satisfied customers, and make sure the online bid amount is listed in American dollars.
- Shop securely - If a website begins with "https," the "s" indicates that the website is "secure." Typically, the "s" will not appear in the web address until you access the order page of the site where you are asked to enter your personal information. Another indicator of a secure website is a graphic of a closed lock located at the bottom of your screen. Secure websites take precautions to ensure that others cannot see and copy the personal information you provide.
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