Ticket Scams: How to Buy Concert and Event Tickets Safely

A ticket scam is when someone sells you a ticket to a concert, game or show that is fake, already sold to someone else, or never arrives. It can come from a website that looks like a real ticket seller, a stranger in a social media group who “can’t go anymore,” or an ad that promises seats to a sold-out event. Often you only find out at the gate.

Tickets for popular events sell fast, and that pressure is exactly what scammers count on. This guide is for anyone buying tickets, and for family members who help older relatives get seats to a grandchild’s game, a favorite band or a holiday show. The advice below was checked against FTC consumer advice and FTC guidance on ftc.gov on October 23, 2026.

Where ticket scams show up

• Lookalike ticket websites. The FTC warns that scammers use paid search results and social media ads to send buyers to copycat ticket sites. The page looks professional, but it isn’t the official seller, and it may sell the same seat to several people.
• Social media posts and groups. Someone posts that they have extra tickets, or replies to your “looking for tickets” post. They seem friendly and in a hurry, and they want to be paid through a payment app.
• Screenshots and photos of tickets. A seller sends a picture of a ticket or a barcode as “proof.” A picture can be copied and sent to many buyers, and only one of them, if anyone, gets in.
• Events with only one official seller. For some big events, the organizer says tickets are sold only through its own website or app. The FTC has noted that for events like these, tickets offered anywhere else are a scam.

Warning signs

1. They will only take a payment app, wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency. The FTC says anyone who insists you can only pay one of these ways is probably a scammer.
2. They want to move off the site. A seller on a marketplace who asks you to text them and pay directly is stepping outside the protections the site offers.
3. The ticket is a screenshot or a printout. Many events now deliver tickets through an official app. A picture of a ticket for that kind of event is a strong sign of a scam.
4. The web address is a little off. Extra words, odd spellings, or a name that is close to, but not the same as, the venue or team.
5. The price is too good to be true. Great seats far below other listings, often with a sad story about why they must sell today.
6. Pressure to decide right now. “Three other people want these. Pay in the next ten minutes.” Urgency keeps you from checking.

How to buy tickets safely

1. Start at the official source. Go to the venue, team, artist or event’s own website and follow its link to the ticket seller. Type the address yourself or use a saved bookmark instead of clicking an ad or a search result.
2. Get ready before tickets go on sale. The FTC suggests signing up for alerts from the venue, artist or official seller, creating your account ahead of time, and asking your credit card company about presales. If a show sells out, check back. Promoters sometimes release more tickets or add dates.
3. If you use a reseller, read its policies first. The FTC advises checking how and when you will get your tickets, and whether the reseller offers a replacement or refund if something goes wrong.
4. Research a seller you don’t know. Search the company’s name with words like “scam” or “complaint.” The FTC notes that social media platforms don’t always check the ads or advertisers you see, and that star ratings alone can be misleading.
5. Pay with a credit card. The FTC says credit cards offer more protections and let you dispute charges. Never pay a stranger with a payment app, wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency.
6. Stay on the platform. If you buy through a marketplace or resale site, keep the conversation and the payment there.
7. Keep records. Save the listing, the seller’s name, messages, and your receipt or order confirmation until after the event.

Why paying with a credit card matters

How you pay decides how easy it is to get your money back if the tickets turn out to be fake. The FTC explains that payment apps, wire transfers, gift cards and cryptocurrency work a lot like cash. Once the money is sent, it is hard to get back. Scammers prefer these methods for that reason.

A credit card gives you a way to dispute a charge. According to the FTC, you can dispute charges for things you bought but didn’t accept or that weren’t delivered as agreed. To protect your rights, send a written dispute to the card company’s billing inquiries address, not the payment address, so it arrives within 60 days after the first bill with the charge was sent to you. Include your name, address, account number and a description of the problem, attach copies of your receipts, and keep a copy of your letter.

Payment apps are great for splitting a dinner bill with family. They are not a good way to pay someone you only know from a post or a comment.

Ticket prices and the law

Two federal protections help ticket buyers and show what an honest seller should look like.

• All-in pricing. Under the FTC’s Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees, which took effect May 12, 2025, businesses that sell or advertise tickets for concerts, sporting events, theater and other live performances must show the total price upfront. That total has to include required fees the seller knows about, and it must be shown more prominently than other prices. Government charges, shipping and optional add-ons can be left out at first, but they must be disclosed before you are asked to pay. The rule covers official sellers, resellers and third-party platforms.
• The BOTS Act. The Better Online Ticket Sales Act makes it illegal to get around the security measures ticket sellers use to enforce posted ticket limits and purchase rules. It also bars selling tickets obtained that way. That covers people who use bots, fake accounts or hidden identities to buy up large numbers of tickets for resale. The FTC has brought several cases under this law. If you think a ticket broker is breaking these rules, you can report it.

If it already happened

Act quickly. The sooner you report a payment, the better your chances of stopping or reversing it.

• You paid with a credit card: call the number on the back of the card, or use the card’s app or website, and report the charge. Ask for your money back, and follow up in writing within the 60-day window.
• You paid with a debit card: report it to your bank or credit union right away and ask them to refund your money.
• You paid with a payment app: report it to the app right away, using its in-app support, and ask them to reverse the payment and refund your money.
• You paid by wire transfer, gift card or cryptocurrency: contact the company you used to send the money right away, tell them it was fraud, and ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed. See Gift Cards Are Only for Gifts for more.
• You bought through a marketplace or resale site: report the seller to the site, and contact the site’s customer service about any buyer guarantee.
• You gave a login or password: change it right away, change it anywhere else you used it, and turn on two-factor authentication.
• You gave your Social Security number: go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.

Report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report a dishonest business to your state attorney general.

Helping an older parent buy tickets

• Bookmark the official websites for the venues, teams and theaters they go to most, so they never have to search for them.
• If the event uses a ticket app, help them install it from the official app store and practice opening a ticket before event day.
• Agree on a simple rule: “We don’t buy tickets from strangers on social media, and we never pay with a payment app or gift card.”
• Offer to look over any deal before they pay. A quick phone call or a photo of the listing is enough.

Checklist

• Tickets are bought from the official seller or a reseller whose policies you have read.
• Web addresses are typed in or bookmarked, not clicked from ads.
• Every ticket purchase goes on a credit card.
• Nobody accepts a screenshot of a ticket as the real thing.
• ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your card company’s phone number are saved.

FAQ

Are resale tickets always a scam?

No. Many people buy resale tickets without trouble. Use an established resale site, read how and when the tickets will be delivered and what happens if something goes wrong, and pay through the site with a credit card. For some events, the organizer allows sales only through its own site, so check the event’s official page first.

Can I safely buy tickets from a friend of a friend on social media?

Be careful. Scammers create fake profiles, and real accounts get hacked and used to sell fake tickets. If you know the person, call them to confirm it is really them. Ask whether the tickets can be transferred to you through the official ticket app, which is safer than receiving a screenshot or PDF.

The fees at checkout were much higher than the advertised price. Is that allowed?

Under the FTC’s fee rule, live-event ticket sellers must show the total price, including required fees they know about, upfront. Government charges, shipping and optional add-ons can be added later but must be disclosed before you pay. If you think a seller isn’t following the rule, report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

What if the event is canceled?

Check the refund policy of the place you bought from. If you paid by credit card and can’t get a refund for something you didn’t receive, ask your card company about a dispute.

Related guides

• Fake Online Stores and Social Media Shopping Scams
• How Scammers Tell You to Pay (FTC Video Guide)
• Hidden Fees: How to Spot Charges You Never Agreed To

Sources

• Federal Trade Commission, “How to make your World Cup experience scam free,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 23, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “Traveling to the Olympics in Italy? Here’s how to avoid a scam,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 23, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “Successfully scoring summer concert tickets,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 23, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “Cracking down on ticket bots that leave you out in the cold,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 23, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “What the Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees means for you,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 23, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “The Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees: Frequently Asked Questions,” ftc.gov, accessed October 23, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “Better Online Ticket Sales Act,” ftc.gov, accessed October 23, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “A way to spot scams: how someone asks you to pay,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 23, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “Buying From an Online Marketplace,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 23, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 23, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “Mobile Payment Apps: How To Avoid a Scam When You Use One,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 23, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “What To Do if You Were Scammed,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 23, 2026.
• Federal Trade Commission, “Are ads on social media vetted or checked for scams? Here’s what to know,” consumer.ftc.gov, accessed October 23, 2026.

This is general information, not legal or financial advice. If you lost money, contact your bank or payment provider right away and report the scam at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.