As fans prepare to descend on Indianapolis this weekend for the Big Ten championship football game between Northwestern and Ohio State universities, Attorney General Curtis Hill Tuesday warned consumers of the dangers of buying tickets to spectator events through secondhand person-to-person transactions.
Person-to-person buying typically involves a cash transaction for tickets without documentation proving tickets are authentic. Buyers involved in these deals typically have no means of getting their money refunded if they learn their tickets are fake, lost or stolen.
The safest course remains purchasing tickets during initial offerings from the originating venues and their associated ticket vendors. Barring that option, buyers are advised to seek safer options on the secondary market such as trusted resale websites requiring debit or credit cards.
Anyone planning to engage in person-to-person buying should at least take steps to minimize risks of fraudulent transactions. Consumers should:
- Double check to make sure tickets have correct times and dates.
- Compare the appearance of tickets you are attempting to buy, if possible, with tickets you know to be authentic.
- Obtain the names and phone numbers of ticket sellers, and call those numbers before exchanging any money to ensure they are valid. (A seller refusing to share such information or providing a fake phone number could be attempting to perpetrate a scam.)
If you believe you have been the victim of any type of scam or attempted scam, the Office of the Attorney General can help. Go to indianaconsumer.com or call 1-800-382-5516 to file a complaint.
