Ticket & Event Scams

Sellers on social media, classifieds, or messaging apps take payment for concert tickets that are fake, already used, or never existed.

Scammers target fans desperate for tickets to a sold-out event by inventing tickets, memberships, or 'guaranteed access' offers that don't exist.

Fake or duplicate festival tickets and camping passes sold through unofficial channels leave buyers turned away at the gate with no accommodation.

Scammers sell fabricated VIP packages promising backstage access or meet-and-greets with performers that were never authorized or arranged.

Fake or duplicated tickets for major games, finals, and playoffs sold through social media, classifieds, and fan forums leave buyers turned away at the stadium gate.

Scammers exploit digital ticket transfers by sending screenshots, duplicated QR codes, or manipulated transfer links that fail or get scanned by someone else first.

Scammers pose as fellow fans in community groups and forums to sell fake or non-existent tickets, exploiting the trust built inside genuine fan communities.

Cloned or lookalike ticket marketplace websites mimic well-known resale platforms to take payment for tickets that are never delivered.

Fraudulent transfers of season ticket memberships or single-game seats from season ticket holders leave buyers without valid access after payment.

Fake or non-existent tickets for popular theatre and stage shows are sold through unofficial resale channels, often targeting tourists and gift buyers.

Scammers sell tickets to fabricated charity galas and fundraising dinners, or impersonate a genuine event's ticketing, keeping the money for themselves.

Fake or cloned professional conference registration sites collect payment and personal data for events that don't exist or registrations that are never processed.

Deeply discounted theme park tickets sold through unofficial resellers turn out to be fake, already used, or restricted in ways buyers weren't told about.

Scammers sell fake festival or event wristband upgrades promising better access, viewing areas, or amenities that the upgrade never actually provides.

Scammers target buyers in the final hours before an event, using extreme urgency to rush payment for tickets that turn out to be fake or never arrive.

A single valid ticket is photographed, copied, or forwarded and sold to multiple buyers, with only whoever scans first at the gate actually gaining entry.

Scammers phish for artist or event presale access codes, then use or resell them before genuine fans can access early ticket sales.

Scammers exploit event postponements and cancellations by impersonating organizers to phish for payment details under the guise of processing a refund.

Scammers sell tickets by claiming they've reserved seats under the buyer's name at the venue's will-call or box office window, but no reservation ever exists.

Scammers falsely claim a still-happening event has been cancelled to trick genuine ticket holders into handing over their valid ticket or login details for a bogus refund.

Fake or vanishing photographers, venues, planners, and entertainers collect wedding deposits — or full payments — and then disappear, cancel at the last minute, or never existed at all.