With the internet boom, most people now prefer buying their tickets online. Not only is it convenient, but it also saves money—especially for those highly valued match tickets. Of course, this shift has been supported by making online infrastructure accessible to more people, allowing ticket prices and demand to soar like never before. However, in the hunt for the right tickets, people often end up making expensive blunders.

Not verifying the seller
One of the biggest mistakes people make when buying tickets today is not verifying the seller. Scammers make use of this to run their sinister ploys, resulting in major losses and a lot of frustration for ticket buyers. To avoid this, one must always verify the seller before they fill in any personal information or finalize their purchase. So, how does one do this? The best way to avoid these scams is to stick to reputable sources. Check the official ticketing or ticket resale partner for the event and only purchase from them. Ensure that these are reliable (often well-known) sites with many positive reviews. Lastly, check the prices of the tickets— if they look too high or too low compared to the official numbers, it may be a potential scam.

Some scammers have also developed ticketing sites that look eerily similar to the original. For some, the only change is a slight difference in the URL. When visiting the site, pay special attention to these details to confirm that one is in the right place.

Paying via unsecured sites
Some websites connect to unsecured payment gateways, which can put one’s financial information at risk. Before entering any details, check that the site’s web address has a “HTTPS” and a padlock symbol, which denote its security. Additionally, one must pay attention to the platform fees levied during the sale— if they look unnaturally high, it is likely to be a fraudulent site.

Another important thing to note is that paying for tickets via a peer-to-peer payment service is never a good idea. If the whole ordeal turns out to be a scam, there is no way to get the money back. Always use a debit or credit card to make ticket payments.

Buying tickets for resale
Note that every platform has different rules for selling and reselling a ticket. Buyers must be aware of these underlying mandates before trying to scramble for tickets on the internet.

For high-profile sports events, the demand is so high that many people end up turning to online marketplaces to buy price-cut resold tickets. Unfortunately, these platforms are brimming with scams. The solution? Only buy tickets from the original, legitimate sellers. If going down the resale route feels unavoidable, restrict this business to sellers connected with the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB), as they have strict guidelines that protect customer interests. And if the need arises to buy from an individual, make sure that it is someone known and trustworthy.

If one feels they have just become a victim of a scam, immediately file a police report, contact the Federal Trade Commission, and/or file a complaint with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.