State Attorney General Warns of World Series Ticket Scams

Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr is warning Atlanta Braves fans to look out for ticket scams during this week’s World Series games.

Major sporting events present an opportunity for scammers to exploit consumers through the sale of fake, void or stolen tickets on the secondary market.

Ticket scams not only pose a risk for financial theft, but consumers may also fall victim to identity theft if both financial and personal information is provided as part of the transaction.

Carr said criminals will take advantage of any opportunity to steal Georgians’ hard-earned dollars, including using major sporting events such as the World Series that generate high demand in ticket sales.

And he said awareness is key.

So the Attorney General’s Office offers some tips for consumers:

First, buy tickets from reputable sites. You can check whether the business is accredited with the Better Business Bureau by going to bbb.org. You may also want to search the internet for complaints and reviews of a business.

Don’t buy tickets outside the stadium gates from a scalper. Carr said they are often scammers peddling bogus tickets. Don’t risk it.

You can find a ticket broker through the National Association of Ticket Brokers, which requires its members to guarantee that every ticket sold on their websites is legitimate.

Ticket brokers are required by Georgia law to register with the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission and comply with other regulations, including providing their license number in any internet, broadcast or print advertising. To verify a ticket broker’s license, visit sos.ga.gov, click on “Licensing” and then “Search for a Licensee.”

Additionally, be very wary of buying tickets through Craigslist ads. Scammers often try to lure consumers into handing over their money by offering tickets or merchandise at below-market rates. If they ask you to wire them the money, it’s likely a scam.

And if you are purchasing tickets online, make sure the website begins with the prefix https://. This indicates that transactions are encrypted and protected against being intercepted by third parties.
Be wary of deals that sound too good to be true.

And protect your identity by refraining from posting pictures of your tickets online or on social media. Scammers can easily take the barcodes in an online post and use them to create fraudulent tickets and steal personal information.

If you think you’ve been scammed trying to buy World Series tickets you can file a complaint against a ticket broker, contact the Georgia Athletic and Entertainment Commission at 404-656-2868 or [email protected].