With Opening Day around the corner for the Chicago Cubs and White Sox, and with some of the biggest names in music coming to the city this summer, the Better Business Bureau is offering tips for consumers to stay safe when purchasing tickets.
In a press release this week, Steve Bernas, CEO of the BBB, says that fans should take care not to fall for scams in the ticket marketplace.
“One of the first things to do in advance is to be on the lookout for fake websites, tickets and merchandise,” he said in a statement. “You don’t want to show up at the gate after waiting months and paying hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, only to find out your ticket is fake.”
Bernas says the BBB received hundreds of complaints of ticket scams for games, concerts and more last year, and is urging fans to stay vigilant in 2023.
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter here.
To reduce the threat of theft, the BBB urges fans to:
-Buy tickets from the team or venue’s official site, and to carefully vet URL’s, as imitation sites can appear first in internet searches.
-Fake websites will offer tickets at low prices to get fans to enter credit card numbers.
Local
-Only deal with secure websites, whose URL’s begin with “HTTPS” and have a lock-symbol in the address bar.
-Use caution buying tickets on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, or other free listings. Those types of sites make it easier to transmit fake tickets.
-Use payment methods that come with protection, especially credit cards. Debit cards, wire transfers or cash transactions can result in a loss of money in cases of fraud.
Those needing more information can visit the BBB’s website.
