BBB warns of NCAA Tournament ticket scams
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — As the NCAA Tournament gets underway, so do ticket scams. Fans get taken for thousands every year. As the field of 68 gets ready for battle, the Better Business Bureau is sending a strong message.
The BBB says be sure to cross check any vendor with them before handing over credit card information.
There will be legitimate tickets floating around on Craigslist and other online sellers. But, there will be plenty of fakes as well.
The BBB recommends checking the company’s cancellation and refund policies as well. However, they say that the number one, safest bet is to buy them straight through the NCAA website.
“Whenever tickets are in high demand, you always run the risk of not having a valid ticket. So that’s kind of why the recommendation is to utilize the NCAA partner. So that’s why the website was put into place,” said Dayton, Ohio organizing committee member Matt Farrell.
Be aware of tickets that look too good to be true.
“You have something that looks really nice, and looks like an NCAA ticket, but it’s not worth the paper that it’s printed on,” said John North, BBB.
Some other tips:
- Only buy from secure websites – there should be a visible padlock on the address bar and the URL should begin with HTTPS.
- Use a credit card because that gives you built-in fraud protection.
- Be skeptical of anyone who wants you to wire money.
- Don’t buy tickets from scalpers right outside stadiums because they can produce fake tickets.
- If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Tickets get more scarce and expensive as the tournament progresses. Since Indianapolis is hosting the Final Four scammers will be out in full force not only online, but locally. As the BBB says, buy at your own risk.
