Fake Ticket Scam
Scammers sell counterfeit or non-existent tickets. Victims discover fraud when turned away at venue.
🚩 Red Flags
- ⚠Seller insists on payment before transfer
- ⚠Only accepts Zelle/Venmo/wire
- ⚠Won't meet for local sales
- ⚠Ticket is PDF not official app
🛡️ Protect Yourself
- →USE OFFICIAL channels or verified resellers
- →VERIFIED RESALE: Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek
- →IN-APP TRANSFER: Insist on official app
- →MEET AT VENUE and enter together
More Details
- “Can't make it, selling below face value”
- “Section 100, row 5 - amazing seats!”
- “Transfer via Ticketmaster after payment”
- “PDF tickets, will email immediately”
Common Questions
Check for: prices 80%+ off, no reviews on BBB/Trustpilot, recently created domain (WHOIS), only accepts wire/crypto.
Fake pet listings with stolen photos. After deposit, endless fees: crate, insurance, customs. The pet doesn't exist.
Use Ticketmaster, StubHub, SeatGeek. For peer sales, insist on in-app transfer. Meet at venue, enter together before paying.
Dispute with credit card company. Report to FTC and FBI IC3. Always use credit cards for fraud protection.
Report This Scam
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Warn Someone You Know
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Related Scams
Facebook Marketplace Payment Scam
Scammers use fake payments, overpayment schemes, or shipping fraud on Marketplace. Cash and local meetup is safest.
Online Purchase Non-Delivery Scam
Fake online stores take payment for products that never arrive. FBI IC3: 69,271 complaints, $199M losses in 2024.
Zelle Payment Scam
Scammers trick victims into sending money via Zelle through fake bank fraud alerts or overpayment schemes. Zelle transfers are instant and irreversible.
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73% of Americans targeted(Pew, 2025)
|$470M lost to text scams in 2024(FTC)
|$16.6B total losses(FBI IC3, 2024)