untrappable

Ticket scams: spot the fake seller before you pay

Editorially reviewed · Last updated August 4, 2026

Yes — this is a scam. A ticket offer is not real because the logo looks right. Verify the seller, delivery method, and buyer protection through the official event channel before you pay.

Two VIP tickets held — payment needed in 20 minutes
F
FanPass Event Desk
tickets@fanpass-event.net
8:03 PM
Your two front-row tickets are reserved. Pay $480 by Zelle now and we'll send the PDF screenshots immediately — there are other buyers waiting, so we cannot hold them past 8:23 PM: fanpass-event.net/checkout/2048
Release tickets
The Email, as received

Other versions you might get: A fake event website copied from the venue, a social-media account selling seats it does not have, a listing that sends the same seat to multiple buyers, or a ticket package that includes travel and a room but never produces the ticket. The FTC has warned that some sites are run by con artists with no tickets at all, while other buyers discover their “tickets” are counterfeit at the gate.

What to do right now

  1. Stop and open the official event page yourself. The FTC says to check with the event organizer, promoter, or venue to learn how and when tickets are sold. Do not use the seller's link, logo, or phone number as proof.
  2. Check the seller's protection and delivery rules. Before buying from a third-party reseller, confirm how the tickets arrive, when they arrive, and whether the seller offers replacement tickets or a refund if something goes wrong.
  3. Treat a screenshot as a warning, not a ticket. For events that use app delivery and validation, the FTC says someone selling a paper ticket or screenshot is likely a scammer. Check the specific event's rules because delivery methods differ.
  4. Don't let scarcity make the decision. A deadline, a second buyer, or a sold-out event is not a reason to skip verification. If the seller cannot show a path through the official event channel, walk away.
  5. If you already paid, act now. Contact the bank, card issuer, or payment app and ask whether the fraudulent payment can be reversed, then report it to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Keep the messages, payment record, seller details, and listing URL.

How to make sure it never bites you

A counterfeit ticket is discovered late — often when you are already at the event — so the useful check happens before payment. If money already moved, the FTC's advice is to contact the company that handled the payment, ask for a reversal, and report the fraud with the records you kept.

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Frequently asked

How can I tell if a ticket seller is real?
Start with the event organizer, promoter, venue, artist, or team's official website and follow its ticket link. The FTC warns that scammers copy event logos and trademarks and run websites that look official. Check the resale platform's policies, delivery method, replacement promise, and refund rules before paying.
Is buying a ticket screenshot a scam?
For an event that delivers and validates tickets through its official app, yes — the FTC says someone selling a paper ticket or screenshot is likely a scammer. It is not a universal rule for every event, so check the event's own delivery rules through its official site. A screenshot is never proof by itself.
The seller says other buyers are waiting. Should I pay now?
No. Scarcity and urgency are exactly what stop you checking the event's official ticket channel. If the seller will not give you time to verify delivery, replacement, refund, and buyer-protection rules, walk away. A real ticket is not made real by a countdown.
Can a ticket website sell the same seat to more than one person?
It can happen in a ticket scam. The FTC has warned that fraudsters may advertise fake tickets or sell the same seat to multiple people, and that some sites have no tickets at all. Verify the seller and delivery path with the event organizer before paying.
I paid for fake tickets. What should I do?
Contact the company or bank that handled the payment and tell them it was fraudulent; the FTC says to ask for the transaction to be reversed. Report the seller at reportfraud.ftc.gov, and keep the listing, messages, receipt, seller account, phone number, and website as evidence.

Related scams

Sources

A public service

Help protect someone else

Scams spread because people stay quiet about them. If this could have fooled you, it can fool someone you know — a parent, a friend, the family group chat. Passing it on is the easiest good thing you'll do today. It's safe to forward, and stands on its own as a record for a bank or the police.