Although Los Angeles doesn’t have a team playing in the Super Bowl this year, a relatively short drive or an even shorter flight makes going to Las Vegas a real possibility for some Southern Californians who can afford it.
However, those looking to snag last minute tickets to the big game need to be wary of suspiciously good deals, experts say.
The Better Business Bureau is not only warning consumers that the days leading up to the Super Bowl are prime time for scammers, but they are also advising that scams are harder to spot than ever.
“It’s never been easier in all of human history to scale scam and fraud related operations,” said Josh Planos, Vice President of Communications at the Better Business Bureau. “Tickets are of particular concern because it’s not always clear how to tell if a ticket is fake.”
More than 100 reports of ticketed event scams came in to the BBB in 2023, officials said, though it’s likely that many victims don’t submit a report.
Planos recommends potential ticket buyers to follow one rule of thumb: If the deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.
“It’s been in Ohio as early as the mid-1850s at least, brought in as an ornamental plant because of its unique foliage and white flowers,” Gardner said. “It was actually planted in people’s landscaping, and it has been spreading.”
“If the price is $5,000 and somebody sweeps in with an opportunity for a $2,500 ticket, that’s a really enticing proposition for consumers everywhere,” he said. “Just because peer-to-peer payment methods are ubiquitous nowadays, does not mean they are secure.”
“If it involves cryptocurrency, a wire transfer, prepaid debit cards or peer-to-peer payment methods, it’s almost certain you will never see that money again,” Planos added.
Verified Super Bowl tickets can be purchased on Ticketmaster. As of Wednesday afternoon, the cheapest ticket — located in row 8 of section 441 — goes for $5,600.