TAMPA, Fla. — Super Bowl game tickets are one of the most sought after tickets out there, but before you buy one that seems to good to be true - you need to know about multiple warnings about scammers taking your money.
"The biggest scam around the Super Bowl is of course tickets to the game," State Attorney Andrew Warren said. "Back in the 2019 Super Bowl in Atlanta, there was a man who was selling millions of dollars worth of tickets that he never delivered and he even scammed his own mother. That's why it's important to have your guard up."
The Better Business Bureau says last year they received over 200 reports of ticket scams related to sporting events, concerts, theatre and more. The best advice they have includes: buying from the venue whenever possible, researching your source i.e.: are they an accredited reseller, looking them up on the BBB's website, be wary of advertisements selling, know the refund policy, use payment methods that come with protection and if you have time verify your tickets. You can verify them by going to "will call" or contacting customer service.
"When you're buying online you want to look for resellers that are members of the National Association of Ticket Brokers because that membership will provide you with a refund guarantee if you don't get the tickets on time," Bryan Oglesby with the Better Business Bureau said.
This year with the pandemic, the NFL is letting 22,000 fans inside Raymond James Stadium, but 7,500 are free tickets for vaccinated health care workers leaving 14,500 tickets to be sold.
"If you feel like you're being scammed don't send money. If you've already been victimized then contact law enforcement and your bank to report the person who took advantage of you so that we can officially start investigating," Warren said.
Plus the NFL Senior Legal Counsel, Michael Buchwald says tickets to the big game are digital-only, meaning you can immediately rule out anyone attempting to sell hard stock tickets.
"All fans who purchase a Super Bowl LV ticket will be required to access their ticket on the NFL ticket holder app," Buchwald said. The app creates an encrypted barcode that refreshes so tickets cannot be stolen.
Screenshots, PDF printouts, hard stock or any other form of digital ticket for the big game will not be valid to gain entry, according to Buchwald.
For additional information on how to protect yourself, click here.