Michigan Attorney General warns Lions fans to be wary of online ticket scams

Here’s how to avoid taking an “L” when buying sports tickets online. 

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel wants Detroit Lions fans to remain vigilant when looking for game tickets online—and to keep an eye out for potential scammers looking to make money off of unsuspecting fans.

“Online ticket sales come with a certain amount of risk. It’s easy for scammers to create a phony screenshot of a ticket that doesn’t exist or has previously been sold—possibly more than once,” said Attorney General Nessel in a press release. 

Be aware of the following scams when using a pay app

Payment app scams involve peer-to-peer (P2P) money apps—like Apple Pay, Cash App, Venmo, and PayPal—that require both parties to have an active user account, and each account must be tied to a bank or credit card account. 

Once created, the pay app allows users to send money to other users by searching for their phone number, email address, or username. The money is instantly transferred electronically, and the transactions are usually free. 

If you’re paying for your ticket this way, here are some common P2P scams you should know about. 

Scam #1: Someone impersonating your bank may call to alert you about “suspicious activity” on your account and direct you to send money to yourself or “the bank’s address” to reverse a transaction or to verify the account is not frozen. 

The Truth: Your bank will never tell you to send money to anyone, not even yourself. 

Scam #2: Someone claims to represent a fraud department or merchant and asks you to confirm information about your bank account, credit or debit card, or Social Security number.

The Truth: Scammers want to create a P2P account with your information, steal your identity, and gain access to your accounts—do not share this information. 

Scam #3: Someone sends spoofed emails warning that an account is about to be suspended unless the account holder enters their password on a spoofed webpage.

The Truth: Generally, payment app vendors will never ask you to enter your password unless you are on the login page.  

Other tips from the Attorney General to protect Michiganders when buying sports tickets online. 

Know your vendor. Make sure you are buying your ticket from a reputable website, especially before providing any personal information.

Do your research. If you aren’t sure whether a particular ticket vendor is legit, research them on the Better Business Bureau’s national website, bbb.org.

Use credit. Purchasing tickets with a credit card often gives you protections you wouldn’t otherwise have if you purchased the tickets using cash, check, or apps like Venmo and Cash App. These added protections include the ability to dispute a charge if an event is canceled, or if you receive counterfeit tickets that a venue refuses to honor.

Shop securely. Secure websites take precautions to ensure that others cannot see and copy the personal information you provide. For example, if a website begins with “https,” the “s” indicates that the website is “secure.” Typically, the “s” will not appear in the web address until you access the order page of the site where you are asked to enter your personal information.

Inspect your tickets. Check the time, date, and location on the tickets to ensure that this information matches your expectations. Review the listed seat assignments and call the venue to ensure that they represent validly assigned positions within the facility. The venue may also be able to give you information about any unique features on authentic tickets. 

“Make sure the tickets you pay for are authentic and they will actually get you into the game,” said Attorney General Nessel in a press release.

“Only then will you be able to keep your enthusiasm and your finances secure as you defend the den. Let’s go, Lions!”

For more information on how to protect yourself from ticket scammers, check out the Online Ticket Purchasing from Michigan’s Consumer Protection Team.