Trying to find a bargain on tickets for Charlotte events? Beware of these online scams
In the coming weeks, Charlotte FC will play its inaugural home match at Bank of America Stadium, and Eric Church, Patti LaBelle and Bad Bunny will take the stage at various venues across the city.
Mecklenburg County is expected to drop its mask mandate as a decline in COVID-19 cases continue signals a return to normalcy for some. As a result, more Charlotteans will likely attend large public events.
This also presents opportunities for scammers to sell fake tickets to take advantage of renewed interest in public congregation.
Last year, the Better Business Bureau received more than 140 reports about ticket scams related to sporting events, concerts, theater and more.
How do ticket scammers go after your money?
According to USA.gov, scammers take advantage of ticket shortages by:
Charging prices much higher than the face value of a ticket
Creating counterfeit tickets with forged barcodes and logos of real ticket companies
Selling duplicates of a legitimate ticket and emailing it to several buyers
Pretending to sell tickets online to steal your credit card information
How to protect yourself when buying tickets
The BBB offers the following tips for buying tickets for any kind of live event:
Purchase from the venue whenever possible.
Consider your source. Know the difference between professional ticket brokers like Ticketmaster and StubHub, and a scammer selling scam tickets.
Check out the seller on VerifiedTicketSource.com to be sure you are buying from an accredited resale company.
Buy only from trusted vendors. Look for the lock symbol in the web address to indicate a secure purchasing system.
Know the refund policy. You should only purchase from a ticket reseller that provides clear details about the terms of the transaction.
Use payment methods that come with protection, like a credit card so you can get your money back if the tickets are fraudulent.
Be wary of advertisements. Some ads for cheap tickets could be scams, especially if the tickets are well below face value.
Verify your tickets. Present your ticket to the customer service department at the venue where the event will be held. They will be able to verify if your ticket is legitimate.
How to report ticket scams
There are several ways to report a ticket scam, according to USA.gov.
File a local police report.
File a complaint with the North Carolina Department of Justice.
Contact the Federal Trade Commission using the Online Complaint Assistant.
Report it using the BBB’s Scam Tracker.
If you paid by credit card, report the problem to the card company. You may be able to dispute the charge.
