Scam Costs Fans Hundreds

Football fans looking for tickets to the Sugar Bowl need to be on the watch for a scam taking place on the internet. 

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said consumers need to be skeptical of  individuals offering tickets to the 2015 Sugar Bowl, after two Ohioans reported losing $800 each to Sugar Bowl ticket scams on Craigslist.

In one case, a Franklin County consumer found an ad on Craigslist for six lower-level tickets to the Sugar Bowl for $800. The seller claimed to be a service member and showed the consumer a military ID. Even though the consumer took efforts to confirm that the ID was legitimate before sending the seller money, he fell victim to a theft. It turned out that the “seller” had stolen the identity of a military member and used it as part of the ticket scam.

A Fayette County consumer had a similar experience after exchanging multiple text messages with a seller who claimed to be a military service member with Sugar Bowl tickets to sell. 

To avoid scams, consumers should look for red flags, such as:

• An online seller who draws attention to his or her military status
• Requests for payment via wire transfer or money transfer
• Requests for payment using a prepaid money card
• Prices that are too-good-to be true (such as Sugar Bowl 2015 tickets for less than $100 or $200 each)

Ohioans can report suspicious Craigslist ads to the Ohio Attorney General’s Office directly from Craigslist at https://www.craigslist.org/about/scams. They also can report potential scams by calling the Ohio Attorney General’s Office at 800-282-0515 or visiting www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.