Police warn of scam involving Purdue football tickets

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue police are warning of a scam surrounding Purdue football tickets.

The Purdue University Police Department has received multiple reports of fraud involving people who are trying to buy tickets on the secondhand market.

Police said fraudulent tickets are being posted on the mobile group messaging app GroupMe. The seller poses as a student; during the verification process, the scammer asks the purchasers to send their photo and student ID.

The scammer then turns around and uses the identification of the previous victim to masquerade as a Purdue student and target the next one.

The victims send payments through online platforms like Venmo or Apple Pay.

“We advise the campus community to avoid engaging in online transactions like these with individuals they do not know,” said PUPD Chief Lesley Wiete.

“If a member of the campus community is approached in a group chat regarding tickets, they should not attempt to purchase the tickets. Also, they should save the information, such as usernames and phone numbers, and report the suspicious activity to our department.”

To report football ticket-related fraud, contact police at 765-494-8221.

The department recommends buying tickets through SeatGeek, Purdue Athletic’s official partner for secondary tickets.

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