BBB: Beware of Guardians playoff ticket scams

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CLEVELAND (WJW) — There is electricity in the cool autumn air outside Progressive Field, as playoff baseball returns to Cleveland.

Many Cleveland Guardians fans are hoping to experience the thrill of the American League Divisional Series against Detroit in person, so demand for tickets is high, but the Better Business Bureau is warning Northeast Ohioans that playoff fever is also attracting cyber-criminals claiming to have a deal on tickets.

“The problem always is, obviously, they’re trying to take advantage of you. They don’t really have tickets and they want you to pay in a way that you’re not going to be able to get your money back, once you realize that you have been scammed,” Cleveland BBB Vice President Ericka Dilworth told FOX 8 News.

The BBB said scammers are using social media, text messages and emails to make a sales pitch to eager Guardians fans.

“You’re going to get an invite and you’re going to say, ‘Oh my gosh, I could get these tickets for half-price or I could get these tickets for, you know, a quarter of the price’ and scammers are really always trying to take advantage of you,” said Dilworth.

According to the BBB alert, the scammers are so practiced in the art of deception that they will even pose online as someone you know.

“Usually, it’s ‘Hey I got these tickets and I know it’s last minute but I can’t use them. Would you want to use these tickets?’ Or, you know, something like that to make it not seem like, ‘Hey these are cheap,'” said Dilworth.

If you do buy the tickets online, the BBB recommends that you use payment methods that provide you with protection, if the promise of playoff tickets turns out to be fraudulent. In fact, they say a dead giveaway that you are being targeted in a ticket scam is the seller’s insistence that you pay with your debit card, gift cards or through Venmo or a check.

The BBB said the best protection against fraud is using your credit card for online purchases.

“If something happens and you don’t get the tickets, you reach out to your credit card company and there are protections in place with you and your credit card company. But any other form of payment — it really is at your own risk,” said Dilworth.

The BBB said the best advice is to buy your playoff tickets through the Guardians or legitimate ticket brokers, and always do research before opening your pocketbook.

“You just have to be careful, you know? Check with the Better Business Bureau, check with the venue that is actually hosting the event. Google who’s trying to sell you these tickets and just do a little bit of homework,” said Dilworth.

The BBB warning includes a good rule of thumb to follow: If the deal for playoff tickets sounds too good to be true, it more than likely is.

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Jack Shea

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