$17,000 for one ticket to Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final? How not to get scammed

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Excitement over the Stanley Cup Final is driving ticket prices to staggering levels. If you want to go to the game and are still looking for tickets, you need to be careful before spending thousands of dollars to see the Carolina Hurricanes take the ice.

Tickets for games at the Lenovo Center went on sale Saturday, sparking a frenzy among fans eager to secure seats for the championship series against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Some resale listings have reached eye-popping prices. ABC11 found tickets listed for more than $17,000 for a single seat. Even standing-room-only tickets released Monday afternoon through Ticketmaster were selling for more than $600 each. With so much money changing hands, the Better Business Bureau is warning fans to watch out for scammers.

"The people that have the tickets can kind of set the prices in that regard. So, if you are trying to buy, you know, a secondhand ticket, it is kind of the price that they determine. So unfortunately, if you want to get in you're going to have to pay the price, but you do want to make sure that it is someone who's actually legitimate and has a legitimate ticket, and not someone who's just trying to scam you because we don't want you to be out the money and not go to the game," said Alyssa Parker with the Better Business Bureau of Eastern Carolinas..

Parker said the BBB has already received complaints related to ticket sales and is looking into them. One of the biggest red flags, she said, is a seller providing only a screenshot of a ticket.

"Anything that goes through Ticketmaster or through the arena is going to be a live ticket. That means it has a barcode that is constantly changing," Parker said.

The BBB says legitimate tickets should be transferred directly to the buyer's account, where they can then be accepted and accessed through the ticketing platform. Social media has become a popular place for fans to buy and sell tickets, but Parker warns buyers to proceed with caution. Scammers often pose as season-ticket holders or create fake profiles to appear legitimate.

Before sending money, try to meet the seller in person when possible or use a video call to verify their identity. If purchasing through a third-party ticket marketplace, buyers should take time to understand the site's policies and protections.

"Do read the policies because in those, you know, the fine print is always going to say, you know, whether it's money back, guaranteed. If the ticket doesn't work out the transfer window, how does that work? Just make sure you know what you're getting into before you actually click that button on those third-party sites," Parker said.

The BBB also recommends paying with a credit card when purchasing tickets online because it provides stronger fraud protection than other payment methods.

The warning comes after one Hurricanes fan told ABC11 he was scammed earlier this season while buying tickets through social media. He received screenshots of tickets and did not realize that legitimate tickets must be transferred directly to the buyer.

With Finals tickets selling for hundreds, and in some cases thousands of dollars, taking a few extra steps before purchasing could help fans avoid losing money and missing the game.

All Stanley Cup Final games are on ABC11

SEE ALSO | Share your Canes spirit photos, videos with ABC11!

SEE ALSO | Raleigh woman says scammers stole $75,000 of her life savings