Rockford BBB Warns Of Area Concert, Baseball Ticket Rip-Offs

Baseball is back and outdoor concert season is just about to get started, so what better time for scam artists to get back to the seasonal con of selling fake ballgame and concert tickets to the unsuspecting fan?

Regardless of the safeguards that venues may put into place to stop this sort of thing, the bad actors out there are still finding ways to rip off your hard-earned entertainment dollars.

The Cubs Have Their Home Opener Today, While The Sox Have Their Home Opener On Tuesday

The best way to make sure that the tickets you purchased for either of those games (or tickets to literally anything else) is to make sure that you bought them from a legitimate seller, not some random dude claiming to have "great seats," according to the Rockford Regional Office of the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

Rockford BBB's Director, Dennis Horton:

There are countless ways for consumers to find tickets online, with online marketplaces, ticket sellers, resellers, and the like, and unfortunately, some of them are rip-offs. Ticket sellers and scammers use the excitement and emotion of events like an opening day or hot shows and concerts to cash in on unsuspecting fans. Not only do they take money from consumers, but they are also taking money from legitimate businesses.

Not Into Sports? That's Okay, Scammers Will Happily Screw You Over On Concert Tickets, Too

With Lollapalooza and other summer concert ticket sales open, many fans are looking for tickets to concerts now and in the months to come. Because of that, fake ticket scammers are working overtime to get at your money.

In 2021, the Rockford Better Business Bureau received several hundred reports on BBB Scam Tracker about ticket scams involving sports, concerts, theater, and other entertainment options. Even more complaints came in from customers who bought poor quality, counterfeit merchandise that was being sold as official apparel.

Here's How To Avoid Being Ripped Off When Ticket Buying

As always, rule number one is that if something seems too good to be true, it is. If the offer you're looking at is wildly cheaper than anything else you've seen, it would pay to beware.

Other tips from the Rockford BBB include:

• Buying tickets from unknown sources is like buying tickets in a dark alley. Fake tickets, especially for sought-after events, are common.
• Buy only from trusted vendors.
• Avoid tickets sold on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and other free online listings
• Purchase from the venue.
• Consider your source. Know the difference between a professional ticket broker (a legitimate and accredited reseller), a ticket scalper, and a scammer selling fake tickets.