Landry: LSU fans should be wary of ticket scammers

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - As the LSU Tigers prepare to take on Clemson in the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan. 13, Tiger fans should be wary of ticket scams.

Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry is encouraging those who want to attend the game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to use caution when buying tickets on the secondary market.

“It has been a truly historic season for our Fighting Tigers, and playing the title game right here in Louisiana adds to the fun we will have on January 13th,” said Landry. “Unfortunately, we also know that consumers lose millions of dollars each year due to scammers selling phony tickets, so I strongly encourage Tiger fans to be cautious when purchasing tickets to the National Championship game.”

With the National Championship game quickly approaching, excitement is building for the LSU Tigers, but it’s not the only thing growing. The opportunity for scammers to strike is also on the rise. One woman, who wants to remain anonymous for safety, says one of her old phone numbers was used to try to sell phony tickets online. She found out when text messages started flooding in from eager fans.

“A bunch of random people started asking me, ‘Hey, do you have tickets left? Do you have anymore tickets?’" one woman said. "'I’d like to buy more tickets,' and I was confused.”

In no time, she tells WAFB's Scottie Hunter folks started sending more than just messages. Some folks even threw in pictures of licenses and even credit cards her way, willing to do whatever it takes to get their hands on the high-demand tickets.

“You hear about these things all the time and you never think it could be you and you try to take as many precautions as you can but you never know, technology just keeps getting smarter," she said. "It was also really shocking to see how many people in 2020 were still willing to send a complete stranger their personal information.”

The woman tried to text everyone back, warning them about the scam, but says one guy who wanted to speak with her got aggressive when she refused, saying, “I can keep texting and calling you all night or you can decide to talk to me.”

“It was definitely scary for me,” the woman said.

The Louisiana Attorney General’s Office sounded the alarm to potential ticket scams, urging folks to be careful.

Here are some tips to avoid these tickets scams:

• Be skeptical of anything that seems too good to be true. Be wary of tickets being offered for less than face value.
• Stick with reputable ticket brokers and resellers, such as The Official Fan-to-Fan Ticket Marketplace runs through Ticketmaster, which verifies tickets prior to sale. Tickets sold through alternative means, such as Craigslist or scalpers outside the stadium, are nearly impossible to verify.
• Check to see if the seller belongs to the National Association of Ticket Brokers, whose members must guarantee every ticket sold on their websites and provide a double-money-back refund if tickets are not delivered.
• Don’t buy fake PDF tickets. The College Football Playoff Ticket Office has indicated that no printable PDF tickets will be accepted or considered a valid form of entry for this game.
• Verify mobile tickets. Mobile tickets can only be transferred through the official College Football Playoff app.
• Use payment methods that come with protection. If possible, use a credit card so you have some recourse if the tickets are not as promised. Debit cards, wire transfers, or cash transactions are risky; if the tickets are fraudulent, you will not be able to get your money back.
• If in doubt, ask the experts. If you have questions about tickets or other game-day queries, visit the official College Football Playoff website at www.collegefootballplayoff.com or contact the College Football Playoff Ticket Office directly by phone at 469-706-9010 or by email at tickets@collegefootballplayoff.com.

Copyright 2020 WAFB. All rights reserved.