CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — Fall is always an exciting time in South Texas with plenty of events to attend. Whether it is sports, concerts or holiday events, most of us are looking to get the best deal on premium seats and often, that means purchasing tickets online.
According to the Better Business Bureau, it is also an optimal time for scammers who are looking to steal money from people buying tickets.
Often, scammers come along with an offer of hard-to-find tickets and when the consumers bites, they either receive a fake ticket or never get anything at all.
The BBB suggest the following in order to make ticket buying hassle-free:
Investigate the Source. Buy tickets from the official venue, or their secondary sales options, whenever possible. It also helps to know the difference between a professional ticket broker (who is a legitimate and accredited reseller), a ticket scalper (an unregulated, unlicensed ticket seller) and a scammer selling fake tickets. For more information, you can check www.bbb.org/tickets or www.VerifiedTicketSource.com.
Be Cautious with Ads. Scammers are getting better at making fake ads look real, and sometimes these will pop up if you do an internet search for tickets. Avoid clicking on ads and go to a trusted site instead. You will know a site is secure if it has a lock icon next to the URL. If you are unsure about the tickets, you can take them to customer service at the event venue.
Pay with a Credit Card. This makes the credit card provider jointly liable for delivering on the purchase, so if it turns out to be a scam, you should get your money back. Never use wire transfers or gift cards to pay for tickets. If you are considering buying from a local ticket holder, meet at a police substation.
If you are the victim of a ticket scam, report it to bbb.org/ScamTracker and file a report with police.
