TAMPA, Fla. -- Two Alabama fans bought tickets to the championship game from Craigslist, but then realized they were counterfeit. So they contacted the seller to buy more and then held him for police.
Tampa police arrested the man and are investigating several other potential scams.
In the case that already resulted in an arrest, two Alabama Crimson Tide fans told Tampa Police that they arranged to buy tickets for $1,000 apiece from a man they contacted on Craigslist. They met with the man in downtown Tampa on Sunday and received two tickets that resembled the actual game tickets. They later suspected the tickets might be counterfeit and sought to arrange a scam of their own, as they reached out to the man to arrange the purchase of more tickets.
They met with the man in Ybor City on Monday, recognized him as the person who sold them the counterfeit tickets, and called police. They held the man until police arrived.
Tampa police warn sports fans to be careful when buying tickets from someone on the street or on the Internet. The safest way to buy tickets is to use an approved vendor.
Police remind buyers to make the transaction in a safe place, and if possible, take a picture of the seller's identification.
