DAYTON — Looking to attend this weekend’s Bengals-Bills playoff game? Protect your money and ensure you do not fall into a scam when purchasing tickets to the game.
News Center 7′s John Bedell spoke with Dan Preuett, University of Dayton Assistant Athletic Director for Ticketing, and recommends visiting verified resale ticket exchanges such as Ticketmaster to purchase your tickets for this weekend’s game.
“Because other resale sites, people can try to sell you a ticket they don’t have yet, so they wait for you to buy the ticket from them. Then they’ll go out and try to buy the ticket to actually fulfill it. And that’s how you run into those nightmares on game day” says Preuett.
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Preuett also recommends that ticket holders for this weekend’s game not post images of the tickets, especially those that show the bar code and its number.
“The barcode is you should protect it like it’s something your personal information because if you post it online, people have your name, they now have your barcode number. Somebody could technically call the ticket office poses you, and say, Hey, something came up, I didn’t get the ticket. Can you text it to this phone number, email it to this number, and depending on who you’re talking to, they might actually send it”, Preuett added.
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost told Bedell in a one-on-one interview to stick with reputable resellers or the venue itself.
“Not a debit card. It doesn’t have the same protections, but a credit card limits your losses in case something does gets go south on you. Look, don’t get thrown for a loss” said Yost.
The Ohio Attorney General’s Office says tips to avoid ticket scams include:
- Be skeptical of offers that are too good to be true. Sellers on Craigslist or other online marketplaces may offer tickets at face value (or below) for events that are sold out or highly in demand, but these offers may be scams. Some may offer phony explanations for why they need to sell tickets quickly, falsely saying they have a medical emergency or an overseas military assignment, for example.
- Be careful dealing with individual third-party sellers. To protect yourself, deal with reputable businesses instead of third-party individuals who are not associated with an event. Before providing any payment or personal information, research a seller’s reputation, especially that of an individual seller. Search the seller’s name, username, email address, phone number, and other details for information. Even if you find no negative information, don’t assume the seller is trustworthy. Some con artists change names regularly.
- Check the venue’s ticket policies. Increasingly, a number of venues and events predominantly use electronic tickets. If you’re trying to buy a paper ticket, make sure it’s real. Check both sides of the ticket, and be aware that some ticket scammers use falsified photos, logos, or trademarks to create counterfeit tickets that look legitimate even though they are not.
- Be wary of sellers who request specific forms of payment. Con artists often request payment methods that are difficult to trace or recover, such as wire transfers, cash, or gift cards. They also may ask buyers to use money-transfer apps or other payment options that may not carry specific fraud protections.
- Consider paying with a credit card. If a problem arises, you generally have greater ability to dispute charges on a credit card compared to other payment methods. If you’re using a mobile wallet or peer-to-peer payment service, be sure to understand the protections that the service does (or does not) provide before you make a transaction.
To find more tips on protecting your money and avoiding being scammed, visit the Ohio Attorney General’s website.