College football games start this weekend, don't get duped by ticket scams

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- College football season kicks off soon which means it's time for ticket scammers to try and cash in on the games. Since the pandemic most sporting venues making the switch to just digital tickets, which makes it easier for scammers.

In 2021, the Better Business Bureau says it's got more than one hundred and forty ticket scams linked to sporting events, concerts, theatres, and more. When buying tickets, especially to sporting events try to buy directly from the venue or college. By buying a ticket from the ticket source, you typically avoid paying above face value and get the tickets directly emailed to you.

When you Google tickets to the football game you want to see, be very careful clicking on the first few websites as those are often third-party websites that re-sell tickets above face value.

Before you click buy online, see if the purchase comes with a guarantee and also look for a lock symbol in the web address to show the website is secure, Make sure to always use a credit card to purchase tickets for the best protection. Nick Hill with the BBB of Eastern North Carolina says, "If you are going to be buying from somebody second hand we recommend that you use a payment service so that way if the tickets come out not as promised you can file a claim with that service, and hopefully you can get your money back in case of a scam."

The BBB also warns consumers about lookalike Ticketmaster scams. The agency says the scam works when you do an internet search for a particular concert which brings up results for Ticketmaster. You click through to the website, and everything looks normal. The BBB reports the website prompts you to enter your personal information and a credit card number. However, as soon as you complete a transaction, you notice some suspicious activity. The BBB says victims reported getting tickets with someone else's name on them, or the site charged the consumer a much higher rate than advertised. Upon closer inspection, the consumer realized they were not on the Ticketmaster site at all, instead a lookalike site with a similar name. The BBB says when victims called the customer service number, they were either unreachable, unhelpful, or downright aggressive.

You also need to use caution when you find tickets posted for sale on social media. Don't get tempted by too good-to-be true ticket prices, and use extreme caution as you just never know who you're dealing with.