The Super Bowl is a scammer’s dream, according to online safety experts, and fans should be on “high alert” for fraudulent tickets and counterfeit websites while hunting for tix to the big game.
Ahead of the Chicago Bears vs. Los Angeles Rams playoff game earlier this month, the Better Business Bureau issued a warning to fans to be on “high alert” when buying tickets to major sporting events.
The BBB shared several tips for consumers to keep in mind to avoid being turned away at the gate with a phony ticket – warning that scam emails and texts and fake social media ads are everywhere these days.
Consumers reported losing more than $12.5 billion to fraud in 2024 – a 25% jump from the previous year, according to the most recently available Federal Trade Commission data.
Avoid the screenshot scam
NFL teams are increasingly requiring customers to present digital tickets at the gate instead of printing out their tix at home and bringing them to the stadium.
Mobile-only ticket entry is an “increased security measure, as well as a means of increasing operational efficiencies,” the NFL said in a statement on its website.
“Mobile tickets allow for greater protection against fraudulent tickets, as the trail of a ticket can now be tracked digitally. Mobile tickets also can be shared easily and allow for quicker entry at the gate,” it added.
But consumers can still fall victim to the screenshot scam when shopping through a third-party seller. Scammers take a screenshot of an actual game ticket and then “sell” it to many different customers – who will be turned away at the gate, since the ticket can only be used by one person.
Beware of third-party sellers
The BBB also warned football fans to be skeptical of third-party sellers that appear to have a lot of tickets for sale, or offer tickets at unusually low prices.
Fraudulent websites often sell fake tickets at extremely low prices to lure people into giving up their credit card information, and then send over counterfeit tickets.
They can look convincing, with their own unique barcodes – and fans will only realize they’ve been duped when they are stopped at the gate.
These sites also often wait until the last minute to slap customers with exorbitant fees – collecting all your credit card information and then tacking on a huge processing fee on the very last page.
Customers should check ratings and reviews for any third-party sellers before buying the tickets, or buy directly from the stadium’s box office or NFL team’s official site when possible.
If fans do purchase from a third-party seller, they should check to make sure the URL starts with “https” and has a lock symbol, which indicates it’s a secure address.
Customers should also only shop from ticket resellers with clear refund policies on their sites.
Avoid resale apps and payment platforms
Football fans should be especially wary of resale apps like Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace and other sites that offer free online listings, since they are overrun with scammers, according to the BBB.
Customers should also avoid buying tix through platforms like Zelle, CashApp and Venmo, which should only be used with trusted friends.
Fans should always use a credit card instead of debit cards, wire transfers or cash purchases, since credit card purchases are refundable if the ticket turns out to be a scam.
Report scams
Experts urged customers to contact their credit card company immediately if they believe they have been defrauded to dispute the charge and order a refund.
Customers can report scams to the BBB and the FTC, as well as the venue’s box office, since some stadiums may track fraud and offer assistance.
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