Online fraud piggy-backs start of football season

With the number of online scams rising rapidly and the coming National Football League game opener tomorrow night as well as upcoming Major League Baseball playoffs and the full slate of college football already underway experts are predicting a booming season for Internet  fraud. The Better Business Bureau for example says it is on the hundreds of online auctions, online classifieds, and bulletin boards using person-to-person sales that sports fans need to be the most skeptical and on the alert. BBB reports that every big sporting event is followed by complaints from people who got ripped off buying fake online tickets. The agency reports that a many  secondary-market ticket firms offer highly regulated Web sites, providing buyer protections that include money-back guarantees on the legitimacy of tickets. For example, TicketsNow.com takes possession of tickets and verifies them in-house before listing for resale. StubHub.com and RazorGator.com hold seller's credit-card numbers – if they sell fake tickets, they get charged for the replacements. The secondary-ticket market for sporting and entertainment events, which includes tickets bought and sold by professional brokers, speculators and season-ticket holders, is a $10-billion-a-year industry, with online sales accounting for one-third of transactions and growing 15 to 20 % a year, according to StubHub.com. The biggest fraud complain online is customers either paying for counterfeit tickets or tickets that never arrive, the BBB said. Many times when tickets arrive, they are sometimes not for the seats the seller advertised – which can mean being stuck with seats that aren’t next to each other, up in the nosebleed section, or with an obstructed view, the BBB says.  “The Internet has become the playing field of choice for sports fans looking to unload or buy tickets. Unfortunately, the Internet is also a breeding ground for scammers looking to take advantage of game day fever,” said Steve Cox, spokesperson for the BBB System. “Sports fans are often blinded by their devotion to their team and run the risk of putting their trust in a seller that doesn’t deserve it.” 

The BBB offers the following advice:   

·          When buying from an individual through an online exchange don’t be lured away from the Web site by the seller. Even if you met the seller on the exchange Web site, the company may not guarantee any lost money if a transaction occurs outside their domain. 

·          If you buy tickets through an online auction, choose a seller with a long, continuous, history of satisfied customers. Scammers can hijack old accounts, so make sure they have recently bought or sold other items. 

·          Never pay with a cashier’s check or wire money to the seller; you’ll have no way to get your money back if the tickets never arrive. Pay with a credit card or through PayPal, which offer some amount of protection and potential reimbursement. 

·          Many sellers will include pictures of the tickets with their posts on auction sites or bulletin boards. Scrutinize the tickets closely for any inaccuracies or alterations, and cross-check the seat assignment with the map on the venue’s Web site before you buy.