{"id":7727,"date":"2026-08-20T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-08-20T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stpaulfcu.org\/?post_type=education&p=7727"},"modified":"2026-08-19T10:51:05","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T15:51:05","slug":"how-to-spot-and-avoid-fake-tickets","status":"publish","type":"education","link":"https:\/\/stpaulfcu.org\/education\/how-to-spot-and-avoid-fake-tickets\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Spot and Avoid Fake Tickets"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

After months of dreaming, wishing, and praying, you\u2019ve finally gotten into the concert experience of a lifetime. Beaming, you step forward and hand your ticket to the security guard at the entrance. You begin to stride forward, but he stops you dead in your tracks. He can\u2019t let you into the concert because your ticket won\u2019t scan. You\u2019ve been sold a fake. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a world of endless online accessibility, live performances are a valuable experience. Unfortunately, scam artists across the globe have realized this and are turning that value against people. Sellers on Craigslist and eBay have been hawking fraudulent tickets for years. Concert or sporting event tickets can cost hundreds of dollars at face value, and much more than that as the event approaches. Scam artists have tapped into that market big-time. All they need to do is ask you to pay online or mail your payment to a private P.O. box, and they\u2019re almost untraceable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Given the spread of online ticket exchanges, it may seem that there\u2019s no alternative to buying tickets online. The era of the box office windows may be drawing to a close, but that doesn\u2019t mean the safety it provided has gone away. So, what can you do to protect yourself?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Do your research<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For starters, find out as much background information as you can. See if you can find out exactly what a real ticket looks like, so you can spot differences in a forged one. For sporting events, most national sanctioning organizations include holograms and other hard-to-fake pictures on their tickets. When in doubt, contact the venue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Spot the spec<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpec\u201d tickets are sold speculatively, meaning the seller doesn\u2019t have the physical tickets in their possession. They are merely tickets the seller expects to have after they come up for sale. If you see tickets for events that aren\u2019t available at the box office yet, this is likely how they\u2019re being sold. It\u2019s better to wait until you can buy physical tickets. A \u201cspec\u201d seller is just as likely to take your money and run as they are to give you a ticket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Make sellers do their homework<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are ways you can strike preemptively against fake ticket scammers: <\/p>\n\n\n\n