The University of Minnesota police department is investigating a season-high number of fraudulent ticket reports from the Vikings-Packers game on Sunday.
Deputy Chief Charles Miner told BringMeTheNews they have received more than 50 reports of tickets that didn’t work at Sunday’s game – more than any other home game this season. Miner said that higher number is likely because it was a popular border-battle game.
According to the department, most of the tickets involved purchases made on Craigslist with the print-at-home option. Multiple people ended up buying and printing tickets with the same bar codes, but only the first person to present the bar code at TCF Bank Stadium Sunday was able to get in. The rest were out of luck.
One victim took to warning other users on Reddit, saying some fake tickets were sold for more than $100. (Note: Some strong language is used.)
The university’s police department is pursing some leads, but if the person or persons are caught, it doesn’t mean the victims will get their money back, Miner said.
He added that it’s important to remember situations like this don’t tend to happen when tickets are purchased through “reputable” resale websites. Those can be checked through the Better Business Bureau’s website.
The BBB has a few tips to avoid getting scammed when buying tickets online:
- If you buy tickets through an online auction site, choose a seller with a long history of satisfied customers who has recently sold other tickets – scammers sometimes hijack old accounts.
- If you’re buying tickets from an unfamiliar source, check their BBB review and complaint activity. Also, make sure the broker is licensed in Minnesota and see if it is a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers.
- Avoid paying cash in person to a stranger and never wire funds for payments. Instead, use a credit card or PayPal, which offer some protection to buyers if tickets don’t arrive or are counterfeit. Icon Tickets says if a seller asks you to pay in cash it’s more than likely it’s a scam.
- Check the seating chart at the facility to avoid purchasing tickets for nonexistent seats.
- Read all the fine print and verify ticket delivery dates.
- Be wary of ticket offers that are marketed as extreme discounts – there’s a good chance it’s too good to be true.
