Ohio Attorney General Warns Consumers of Ticket Scams

(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — With Taylor Swift coming to Cincinnati at the end of June, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is reminding Swifties that scammers are looking to take advantage of fans.

“The nosebleed seats are over a thousand bucks, so be mindful when buying resale tickets,” Yost said. “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.”

Concertgoers are also encouraged to take a beat to review these tips:

• Be skeptical of offers that are too good to be true. Sellers, especially on online marketplaces, may offer tickets at face value (or below) for events that are sold out or in high demand, but these offers may be scams. Some sellers may say they need to sell tickets quickly, falsely claiming, for example, that they have a medical emergency or an overseas military assignment.
• Use reputable third-party resale sites. To protect yourself, deal with reputable businesses instead of individuals who are not associated with an event. Beware of websites that mimic popular ticket seller’s logos or the tour logos.
• Before providing any payment or personal information, do a soundcheck. Research a seller’s reputation. Search the seller’s name, username, email address, phone number and other details for information. Even if you find no negative information, don’t assume that the seller is trustworthy. Some con artists change names regularly.
• Be wary of sellers who change their tune on specific forms of payment. Con artists often request payment methods that are difficult to trace or recover, such as gift cards, crypto, cash or wire transfer. If you’re using a mobile wallet or a peer-to-peer payment service such as Venmo or Zelle, be sure you understand the protections the service provides (or doesn’t) before making a transaction. 
• Consider paying with a credit card. With a credit card, if a problem arises, you generally have greater protection and the ability to dispute charges, unlike some other payment methods.

Consumers who believe they have been defrauded should immediately report the details to the company they used to make the payment.

Ohioans can report scams to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at www.OhioProtects.org or by calling 800-282-0515.