With the National Football League playoffs front and center in the American consciousness, the next few weeks will be filled with important games leading up to the most important game of all – The Super Bowl.  All of these games are attractive to football fans who want to be a part of the action and attend the games.  Tickets to these games and travel packages that include tickets are in great demand.  We all know this and so do scammers.  Consequently there are many scammers offering phony NFL playoff tickets and travel packages that will make a loser out of anyone who falls for their scams.

TIPS

Always buy your tickets from legitimate sources that you have confirmed are legitimate with your local state’s attorney general.  Check with the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau, as well for any complaints against these companies offering tickets and/or travel packages.  Never wire money for tickets and/or playoff travel packages because if your purchases are phony, you have no recourse.  Don’t use a debit card because that money is also difficult to recover.  Only pay through a credit card where you would be in a good position to get your money back if the sale is a scam.  Be particularly wary of deals offered on social media such as Craigslist or eBay.  They might be legitimate and they might not.  Either way it is not worth the risk.  When buying tickets, ask for a picture of the ticket to be emailed to you before you purchase it so you can check out the location of the seats on the stadium’s seating chart.  Even then, however, you have to be wary of counterfeit tickets.