Ticket scammers stalk your comments on social media
BY KERRY TOMLINSON, AMPERE NEWS
SEPTEMBER 27, 2022
Your comments on social media can mark you as a target for scammers.
They're searching Twitter and Facebook for someone they can social engineer --- or manipulate --- into giving them what they want.
In the past, they've targeted people complaining about PayPal. Now, in this case, they're focusing on people who want a ticket to a big event.
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HOT TIX
"Got tickets," your friend posts on Twitter. "Spent too much, but I'm going to the game," in this case, Golden State Warriors versus Portland Trailblazers in NBA basketball.
You reply, "How much? I'm looking to buy for my family."
Soon, you get a direct message from a different person who saw your post. "I've got some tickets to sell." You're in luck!
This happened to an Oregon man we'll call Sam.
"I checked out his profile and everything, and he seemed to be a legitimate person," Sam told us. "And legitimately interested in helping me out. I was wrong."
PAID AND PLAYED
The helpful seller said he had two courtside tickets by a team bench. He paid about $1000 for them but will let them go for $700 because he's in Dubai and will miss the game. Plus, he has fond memories of going to games with his own family.
Sam sent off the money by the payment platform Venmo as requested and waited for tickets. And waited. And waited. Finally, the seller responded and said he never received the money.
So, Sam confirmed with Venmo, then sent the seller the Venmo confirmation letter. Good to go?
"I forwarded that to him," Sam explained. "And he said, 'You're making me feel uncomfortable now.' And he blocked me."
Money gone, no tickets, no response.
Sussing out the Seller
With just a few scraps of information, I tracked the seller down on game day, calling a few numbers connected to his name.
About an hour before tipoff, he returned the calls. He erupted, yelling and angry, saying he was a grown man and how dare the news interfere in this private matter.
He rejected questions about the tickets, though he eventually claimed he paid $800 to $900 for them. He refused to provide any evidence that they actually existed but said he would refund Sam's money.
Among his many interesting claims, he said he has his own business and is visiting Dubai but is homeless. He added that his cousin is in the news business and is bigger than me and knows better questions than I do.
When I told him I was putting him on speakerphone, he hung up. However, he did refund Sam's money that same night.
Sold Out
This same kind of scam is also happening in the world of ultra-popular concerts like BTS and Harry Styles.
They may put up a post offering fake tickets, but that could also look suspicious. They may instead lie in wait, scanning social media for the right words, like 'tickets' and 'sold out.'
They may add their fake comment onto someone else's post or watch for your comments and send you a direct message.
There's even an entire Twitter account set up to expose crooks selling fake Harry Styles concert tickets, though it hasn't posted in a while.
The account provides advice for people wanting to buy on social media, including:
---Ask for a screen recording of the seller opening the ticket in their email.
---Check the dates and email addresses to make sure they match up.
---Use PayPal's goods and services to make your payment to protect yourself if something goes wrong.
Words of Warning
Venmo also warns its users to be careful when buying from people you don't know.
The Venmo site says to only buy from strangers on Venmo if you’re purchasing from a Venmo-approved business account. Or, if it's a personal account, mark the payment as a purchase. The seller then pays a fee, but you're more protected, according to Venmo.
The Warriors and Blazers both say only buy tickets through official places.
Sam says he's bought things through social media before with no problem, but now, he'll be more cautious.
"I wouldn't in a million years have thought that somebody would use my desire to purchase tickets for my family as a way of scamming me out of $700," said Sam. "He was preying on me and my inherent trust in the good nature of people."
More stories from Ampere News:
#tickets #concerts #scamalert #cybersecurity