Don't get scammed buying tickets to Hamilton at DPAC

DURHAM, NC (WTVD) -- The long wait for the Broadway smash hit Hamilton is almost over. The musical is coming to the Durham Performing Arts Center from November 6 through December 2.

Right now, tickets are not on sale to the general public; only DPAC season ticket holders are allowed to buy tickets.

That hasn't stopped several ticket resale sites from listing tickets for up to $2,000 a seat, but you still have time to get your tickets at a regular price.

DPAC hasn't announced an exact date; the website says more info will be available in early August.

When tickets do go on sale, Alyssa Gutierrez from the Better Business Bureau, said it's always safest to get tickets directly from the venue. That guarantees you aren't paying more than the ticketed price, and you'll have the peace of mind knowing it's a real ticket.

If you can't grab a ticket through DPAC before they're sold out, or don't want to wait until the official sale date, be cautious on ticket resale sites.

Gutierrez said to always read the fine print, look at refund policies, find out where your seats are, and if you'd be able to resell your ticket if necessary. "A lot of these ticket websites have great guarantees if anything were to go wrong and some of them don't. Make sure you do your research," she said.

And be sure to watch out for scams.

"Scammers see these events come and it's a huge opportunity for them, so they will create fake websites that look exactly like the real website would," Gutierrez said.

To know if a website is secure, look for an "https" in the address (the "s" stands for secure), and on some computers, you'll see a lock symbol or the address will turn green.

Advertisements promoting tickets on social media or online classified sections can be questionable. "A lot of times people will say we have tickets but it's coming from someone who is unlicensed and unregulated," Gutierrez said.

When paying for your ticket on any website, always use a credit card so you can dispute the charge if there are any issues.

It's a huge red flag if a website only accepts pre-paid debit cards or asks you to wire money.