CHICOPEE, Mass. (WWLP) – As summer continues, more and more festivals will soon be taking place, but it is important to know that schemers are taking advantage of this season.
Holyoke to serve free lunch to kids and teens starting Monday How schemers do this, according to the Better Business Bureau (BBB), is that they are cashing in with phony tickets or even creating fake events. Say that there is a great deal on tickets to a festival in your area on social media. The ad for the event says there will be live music, all-you-can-eat meals, craft beer or wine, or other activities.
When the link is clicked on, it takes you to a “professional website” that features pictures. Credit card information is entered and the tickets are yours.
Ways to spot a fake event or festival
- Before buying festival tickets, it’s important to do some research on the festival itself. Search online for the festival’s name and make sure that the name advertised matches the website because schemers often use names that sound similar to real festivals.
- You should also check for contact information, as a legitimate festival website would have a real phone number and email address.
- One other way to spot a fake festival is to watch out for prices that sound too good to be true. If prices are much lower than elsewhere, it’s likely a scheme.
“Whether the event is non-existent, merely disappointing, or you just bought phony tickets, the result is the same: someone pockets your hard-earned money,” reported the BBB.
How to avoid
- One way to avoid these schemes is to pay with a credit card, as you can dispute the charges if the business doesn’t come through.
- You can also look for secure sites, as the website should begin with HTTPS (the extra “s” is for security) and have a lock symbol on the address bar.
- Avoiding tickets that are sold on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and other free online listings is also key as schemers are skilled at providing realistic tickets and fake receipts.
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