(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — With the Cincinnati Bengals playing in the Super Bowl for the first time since 1989, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is reminding football fans that scammers are looking to take advantage of those who want to go watch the team win the Lombardi Trophy.
“The cheap seats start at $6,000, so if someone is claiming to get you in the stadium for significantly less, you should challenge that call,” Attorney General Yost said. “Con artists are out there, and fake tickets will always exist. Although no scamming has been reported to my office, Ohioans should be on the defensive when looking at Super Bowl tickets.”
Game-goers are also encouraged to take a timeout to review these tips:
- Be skeptical of offers that are too good to be true. Sellers on Craigslist or other online marketplaces may offer tickets at face value (or below) for events that are sold out or in high demand, but these offers may be scams. Some may offer “Hail Mary” explanations for why they need to sell tickets quickly, falsely claiming, for example, that they have a medical emergency or an overseas military assignment.
- Be careful dealing with individual third-party sellers. To protect yourself, deal with reputable businesses instead of third-party individuals who are not associated with an event. Beware of websites that might be impersonating the NFL logo or sponsors’ logos. Before providing any payment or personal information, research a seller’s reputation, especially that of an individual seller. Search the seller’s name, username, email address, phone number and other details for information. Even if you find no negative information, don’t assume that the seller is trustworthy. Some con artists change names regularly.
- Be wary of sellers who call an audible on specific forms of payment. Con artists often request payment methods that are difficult to trace or recover, such as wire transfers, cash or gift cards. If you’re using a mobile wallet or peer-to-peer payment service such as Venmo or Zelle, be sure that you understand the protections the service does (or does not) provide before making a transaction.
- Don’t suffer a loss on the play. Consider paying with a credit card. If a problem arises, you generally have greater protections and the ability to dispute charges on a credit card, unlike some other payment methods.
Consumers who believe they have been defrauded should immediately report the details and contact the company they used to make the payment.
Ohioans can report scams to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or by calling 800-282-0515. Suspicious Craigslist ads can be reported to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office directly from Craigslist.
Now, let’s get ready for some football – Who Dey!