Super Bowl Ticket Sales Jump as Scam Warnings Rise
Experts are warning about increasing Super Bowl ticket scams.
“With any big event, scammers are always looking to cash in. And so the Better Business Bureau knows that the big game is going to be no different,” said Kelsey Coleman to 6ABC.
StubHub saw sales climb 17% in just one day. Pennsylvania buyers grabbed tickets at twice the rate of Kansas and Missouri buyers combined. The Caesars Superdome hasn’t seen this kind of demand since 2007.
Travel costs are steep too. Flights to New Orleans from across the country are running $294 round-trip. Kansas City flights have jumped to $1,064. Hotels near the stadium? Plan on spending $1,212 for the weekend.
“They want you to pay with sites like Venmo, Zelle, PayPal. All of those sites are being used because it’s basically like handing over cash. It’s very untraceable. There’s very little recourse if something does go wrong,” Coleman added.
Want to play it safe? Security experts say stick to credit cards. The BBB says to avoid payment apps since they don’t offer much protection against fraud.
StubHub says to keep your ticket info private and don’t post ticket pictures online. Since they’re using mobile-only tickets, remember to bring a phone charger – you’ll need it to get inside.
Look out for price changes two days after teams are picked and right before the game starts. Most fans travel about 911 miles to get to the game.
Pennsylvania’s Attorney General warns people to be careful buying online. Be suspicious of sellers asking for strange payment methods like gift cards, money orders, or crypto.
Visa says they haven’t seen many scams yet, but they’re keeping an eye out with help from police. The BBB has caught scammers making fake ticket websites that look real.