The Detroit Lions have secured the No. 1 seed as NFC North Champions, marking their return to the playoffs. With fans eager to support the team at Ford Field, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has issued a warning about potential ticket scams in online sales.
Nessel advises fans to be cautious when purchasing tickets for upcoming playoff games, including the divisional round and possibly the conference championship game. She encourages fans to review the Department’s Online Ticket Purchasing consumer alert to understand how to protect themselves from scams.
"As we aim to make Ford Field an unbelievable atmosphere, it’s important to be aware of scammers trying to take advantage of your excitement," Nessel stated. "If you’re buying tickets to the divisional round, and hopefully the championship round, at Ford Field, make sure they are authentic, not just screenshots of bogus tickets."
Scammers often use payment or money app scams and fake check scams. Payment app scams involve peer-to-peer (P2P) money apps like Apple Pay and Venmo. These apps require both parties to have active accounts linked to a bank or credit card account. Scammers may impersonate banks or fraud departments to steal personal information and funds.
Fake check scams target those selling legitimate tickets online. Scammers send counterfeit checks for more than the ticket cost and request a refund for the difference, leaving sellers with losses when banks do not cover these costs.
To protect against such frauds, Nessel suggests verifying vendors before providing financial information and using credit cards for purchases due to added protections like charge disputes. Secure websites can be identified by "https" in their web address or a closed lock icon on-screen.
For complaints regarding online ticket purchases, consumers can contact the Attorney General's Consumer Protection Team via mail, fax, phone, or an online complaint form.