PHOENIX — As Final Four fever takes over the Valley, don’t let your experience flop.
Let ABC15 Know has an important warning for people hoping to snag a seat in the stands.
Unfortunately, scammers are full of promises, and that’s all they can offer... empty promises.
The Let ABC15 Know Consumer Team found some great deals for tickets to the NCAA Men’s Final Four on Facebook.
One person was offering up two upper seats for $300. We checked Craigslist and found a very generous person willing to sell their front-row seats for only $250. It’d be great if it was true.
Here’s the reality check, those same tickets are going for several hundred to several thousand dollars on legitimate selling sites.
So here’s rule number one, only buy from trusted vendors!
Avoid Facebook and Craigslist. Not only could you end up without tickets, but you could lose your money as well.
Make sure the site you use to buy tickets offers guarantees against fraudulent listings.
Be extra safe when using the NCAA’s official ticket exchange website. Try to use protected payment methods. A credit card offers extra consumer protection while cash apps like Zelle or Venmo don’t.
Be sure to go over the website’s refund policy before you purchase.
Ignore phishing scams. If a stranger reaches out suddenly to offer tickets at a great price, that’s not a red flag, that’s an entire stop sign!
If you do become a victim of a scam, report it to your bank or credit card company immediately.
Artificial Intelligence is making it easier for scammers to look legit. Crooks can create more convincing tickets by better mimicking watermarks and digital codes, that’s why it pays to double and triple-check everything before spending your money.
Oh, and one way to ensure you don’t get scammed, watch the game from your couch! A different experience, but much cheaper.
