Within the past few years, online ticket scammers have become an increasingly prevalent issue. Regarding inflated ticket prices, counterfeit tickets, and multiple copies of the same ticket being distributed, here are some ways to be an expert ticket buyer.
Avoid Ticket Scams Infographic
Be aware that third-party ticket vendors can sell the same ticket to more than one person, making both tickets invalid.
Understand that third-party ticket websites such as SeatGeek, StubHub, and Ticketmaster can sell tickets at a much higher cost than face value.
Stay alert while on the internet. Scam Websites can appear very similar to a venue’s legit website and may appear at the top of your search as a sponsored website, so always check the URL.
Do not use untraceable forms of payment such as Venmo, PayPal, or gift cards when possible.
Many times you will not know the validity of a ticket until arriving to the venue.
Vermont’s event vendors have cautioned consumers about fake ticket sales by encouraging consumers to check the latest information with the event vendor before purchasing tickets. The best way to avoid ticket scams is by purchasing tickets directly through the venue you plan to attend.
Contact the Vermont Attorney General’s Consumer Assistance Programby calling 1-800-649-2424, or by going to our website at ago.vermont.gov/cap to file a complaint if you have encountered fraudulent ticket sales.
With the changing of the leaves and the shorter days, fall brings a host of seasonal activities and purchases. Whether it’s Halloween costumes or season passes to ski resorts, consumers will be looking to save money on their seasonal purchases. However, this season is also ripe for scams. Here are some tips to help you avoid falling for seasonal scams and schemes.
Beware of counterfeit or knockoff Halloween costumes. When searching online for a deal, beware too-good-to-be-true prices – it could be a trick! Unscrupulous retailers may list costumes at a discount to get you to fall for a listing using stolen photos, then send you a cheap imitation costume instead of the real thing. Avoid this tactic by buying in-person or from a trusted online retailer.
Skiers looking for deals on lift tickets: Watch out for steep, third-party discounts, which could be a sign of fraudulent tickets. Buying tickets from trusted resorts and standard channels is the best way to avoid scams.
Drivers preparing for the winter season may be spooked by the price of snow tires. When searching for a deal, do your research! Sellers offering “too good to be true” prices, subpar, and worn winter tires aren’t heroes. Avoid getting tricked by inspecting tires before you drive away.
Finally, as you plan your holiday vacations, don’t fall for counterfeit family vacation packages. While it is possible for sales to either inflate or be lower on some days than others, prices that are completely undervalued and look overly convenient could be a scam. Avoid holiday disappointment by purchasing directly from the business or online at their official website.
Remember these tips:
Research Before You Buy
Use Secure Payment Methods
Check the URL before clicking: Hover over links to see the actual URL. (look for “https://” in the URL)
Be Cautious with Personal Information
As always, contact the Consumer Assistance Program to report scams and get help. Call 1-800-649-2424 or email AGO.CAP@vermont.gov.
Join us in the fight to be #ScamAware and #StopScamsVT. Share this with someone you trust.
A heartfelt thank you to Jeanette Voss and Martha “Mickey” Pullen for sharing your stories in a recent Seven Days article, Cyber Scams Are Leaving Older Vermonters Destitute, Frustrated and Saddled with Tax Debt. Your stories help us understand that scams are malicious criminal operations that succeed through thievery. You have helped others to see that responding to a scam is deeply human and natural. Scams are crimes. Scams are never the fault of the people they harm.
Findings by the Federal Trade Commission as well as AARP support that we humans are most likely to respond to scams when our emotions (positive and negative) are elevated—from anger to love, we have recently experienced two or more stressful life events, are living in isolation, and have increased exposure to scam encounters.
It could look like this: A new mom on maternity leave who lost her beloved father receives a call about an unpaid IRS tax debt. When scammers use carefully scripted dialog, the notion of unpaid taxes seems plausible. One may question whether claimed dependents had been properly updated, or if a burial tax was overlooked.
This new mom receiving an unwanted call from the IRS was me. During the call, I felt panic rise as I readied myself to engage. My sleep deprivation and my baby saved me. Upon receipt of the call, I was rushing out the door with my crying child. I decided I was too tired and overwhelmed to engage in a meaningful conversation. Exasperated, I said, “I just can’t right now,” and hung up. Once I was seated in my car, I expressed a long exhale. In that moment, I started laughing as I said aloud, “That was a scam!” My baby was not amused.
When involved in a scam our brains are likely to experience an “amygdala hijack” —a term defined by Emotional Intelligence expert Daniel Goleman. This hijack is a natural response to emotional stimuli. When it is triggered, our response bypasses the orderly and fact-checking part of our brain. Scammers trigger this hijack by using manipulative psychological tactics. In the recent experience I shared above, my emotions helped me out of a tough situation. But I have experienced scams before where my emotion-based actions led me to monetary loss.
Scams frequently occur in isolation. Because of this, one of our best prevention strategies is to stay connected with our communities. That way, whenever you encounter something that is unexpected, urgent, unsettling, or unknown, you can engage a trusted contact, or community organization. This trusted support serves as your sounding board. They will help you to ask questions and expose the scam. Regularly engaging your trusted contact, such as when thinking about buying from a new website or making a high-dollar purchase, helps you to form scam avoidance habits. As burdensome as it may seem to activate a prevention strategy involving others, think of it like locking your door. It is a safety measure that will hopefully stop a thief from stealing from you.
If you have responded to a scam, know that you are not alone. Please report all scams to the FBI’s IC3.gov so that they can aggregate data to identify scam activity.
Steps when funds or personal information have been jeopardized:
STEP 1: Immediately contact the Financial Institution’s Fraud Department.
STEP 2: Immediately report to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center: ic3.gov or call 1-800-CALL-FBI If personal information may have been stolen or compromised: IdentityTheft.gov provides step-by-step recovery guidance or call 1-877-438-4338
STEP 3: Consider engaging a trusted contact who will support you through the process.
STEP 4: Engage Vermont supports when you need additional help:
