Ohio Attorney General warns of potential Super Bowl ticket scams
Super Bowl LVI is fast approaching, and with the Cincinnati Bengals securing a spot in the big game, many Ohioans are scrambling to get tickets.
However, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is reminding folks that scammers will be looking to take advantage of those who are trying to get their hands on tickets to the big game.
Yost advises that if something sounds too good to be true, there's a great chance that it could be false. Yost says the cheapest tickets to the Super Bowl cost about $6,000 apiece, so if you see something significantly cheaper, you might want to look into it further before buying.
"Con artists are out there and fake tickets will always exist. Although no scamming has been reported to my office, Ohioans should be on the defensive when looking at Super Bowl tickets," Yost said.
Those looking to get tickets should beware of online marketplaces such as Craigslist, as sellers often sell tickets at or even below market value for high-demand events such as the Super Bowl, but these offer could be scams.
Some scammers may offer a "Hail Mary" explanation of why they needed to sell their "tickets" such as unexpected illness or military deployment.
It is recommended that rather than buy from third-party sources from online marketplaces that buyers stick to reputable businesses. If you do decide to buy from a third-party seller, check their reputation online before going through with any purchases.
To do this, you can search the seller by username, email address, phone number and other details you find on the seller.
Even if you don't find any negative information on the seller, that doesn't necessarily mean you can trust them right away, as some sellers consistently change their names to avoid being caught.
Additionally, buyers should beware of sites that could be impersonating official NFL sites by using the NFL or sponsors' logos.
Buyers should also be wary of sellers that request very specific forms of payment, as con artists often request forms of payment that are hard to trace or recover such as wire transfers, cash or gift cards.
However, if a seller is accepting credit card payments, buyers would generally have greater protections such as the ability to dispute charges on their cards should problems arise.
If you're using a mobile wallet such as Venmo or Zelle, be aware of the the protections that the services do and do not provide before making your transaction.
In the event that you are the victim of a potential scam, do not wait. Immediately report the details of your transaction and contact the company used to make the payment.
Ohioans can report scams to the Ohio Attorney General's Office or by calling 800-282-0515. Suspicious Craigslist ads can be reported directly through Craigslist itself.
