BBB warns of Packers playoff ticket scams

MILWAUKEE - Are you hoping to follow the Green Bay Packers as they push toward Super Bowl XLVII? Watch out for ticket scams, the Wisconsin Better Business Bureau warns.

The opportunity for sports fans to be scammed by fake ticket sellers occurs most often when people buy tickets from individuals outside the stadium, on the street or through online auctions, classified ads and bulletin boards, the organization says.

In addition, the BBB cautions fans to be careful if they’re looking for tickets online.

“The Internet has become the arena of choice for sports fans looking to buy or sell tickets,” president and CEO Randall Hoth said in a news release. “Unfortunately, it also has become a breeding ground for scammers looking to take advantage of sports fans.”

The BBB has offered the following tips for fans looking to cheer on the Green and Gold in person:

• Be careful buying tickets from someone on the street.  When you get to the gate and find out your tickets aren’t real, the seller will be long gone. 
• Before buying from an online ticket broker, look for the BBB logo on the website and click on it to make sure it’s real.  The BBB’s dynamic seal will take you directly to the BBB Business Review, where you can view the company's reliability report. 
• Make sure the website has a secure payment processing system, usually denoted by https:// at the start of its website address or URL, or a small closed lock icon at the bottom of the screen. 
• If you buy tickets through an online auction site, choose a seller with a long history of satisfied customers. Scammers can hijack old accounts, so make sure the seller has recently sold other tickets. 
• Ticket buyers also should be wary of sellers who try to lure buyers from a legitimate site to another site for a “private” transaction.  Scammers often want to conduct their business on sites with names that mimic well-known companies but actually are fakes. 
• If you are buying tickets through an online classified ad site, never pay the seller by wire transfer. You will have no way to get your money back if the tickets do not arrive or are counterfeit. Pay by credit card. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, credit card customers have the right to dispute charges for services not rendered.
• Ask the seller to email you a picture of the tickets, including a receipt or other proof that the tickets are not counterfeit. Scrutinize the picture carefully, looking for any alterations or inaccuracies, and cross-check the seat assignment with the map on the venue’s Web site before you buy. 
• Try to purchase from a local seller that you can meet in person. Meet in a public place and do not go alone. The “seller” could be a scammer who is looking for a victim to rob. He/she knows where you’ll be and that you’re carrying a lot of money, which makes you an easy target. 
• When meeting the seller, ask for some identification, and write it down in case you need it later. 
• Before you do business with a charity or company, check its  BBB Business Review  at  www.bbb.org  or by calling 414-847-6000 (metro Milwaukee), (920)-734-4352 (Appleton), (608)-268-2221 (Madison) or 1-800-273-1002 (elsewhere in Wisconsin). Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Twitter  and  Facebook .

The Packers play the San Francisco 49ers Saturday night in an NFC Divisional round playoff game.