MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Ticket scammers ruin big events for fans, and all too often the scammers seem to get away scot-free. Laura Blankenship from Canton, Greater West Virginia, urges potential secondary market ticket buyers to be careful with the Backyard Brawl just days away in Morgantown.

Laura Blankenship

On WAJR’s “Talk of the Town,” Blankenship said ticket buyers should do their research to protect themselves from scams and the possibility of being overcharged. Taking a few minutes to ensure you’re interacting with a true broker with authentic tickets can save money and hard feelings in the end.

“It’s very easy to fall for fake ticket scams online or even to simply overpay for resale tickets,” Blankenship said. “That’s why it’s so important to know what to look out for.”

The first choice would be to buy tickets directly from the venue or team, according to Blankenship. Going to the source is the safest way to avoid the deal that’s “too good to be true” or losing your money and ending up with no tickets.

“You want to go directly to the venue, so if you’re purchasing a ticket to go to a WVU game, you want to purchase directly from the stadium or school,” Blankenship said.

When buying tickets online, it’s important to maintain awareness. Fans may access a website and then be redirected based on the ticket choice they make, so a purchaser may not understand who they are making the purchase from. Check the web address when you are redirected and make sure you’re not being scammed.

“A lot of the time people are purchasing from third parties, and they don’t realize they’ve been redirected,” Blankenship said. “So, you want to make sure you’re checking in the URL that it is actually the stadium school or even if it is StubHub or Ticketmaster.”

Use a credit card when purchasing tickets to take advantage of any fraud or purchase protection offered by the issuing company. Never use cash or cryptocurrency because once the purchase is made, it’s untraceable in the event of a scam.

“Use caution when you’re buying a ticket, especially from someone you don’t know personally,” Blankenship said. “So, you want to make sure you’re buying from an organization that you know handles resale tickets and that it is legitimate.”

There may be cases where the only available purchase is from a private broker or ticket holder, and there are ways to protect yourself in those situations. Research the broker to verify reviews of past sales, if available, or if the seller has been involved in past scams.

“Make sure you’re looking up the seller online to make sure it’s legitimate, especially if it’s something you haven’t heard of before,” Blankenship said. “Make sure that’s where tickets are being sold, and a quick Google search should confirm that as well.”

The Better Business Bureau maintains a database of scams that can be checked when making ticket purchases as well.