PSA:Counterfeit Ticket Warning

Submitted by MGoMediocrity on

Fair warning to the board, unsurprisingly the University ticket office is already receiving reports of counterfeit tickets. (WARNING mlive link incoming)

http://www.mlive.com/wolverines/index.ssf/2017/09/buyer_beware_counterfeit_ticke_1.html

I already had a seller try to scam me on craigslist, so I called the ticket office myself and here's a couple of things to look for:

  • Obvious errors: Look for misspellings, incorrect logos or dates (duh.)
  • Kickoff time: No real tickets will have a kickoff time listed.They will have "TBA".
  • Barcode: While frequently left off of internet ticket pictures,  the ticket office told me that the first three numbers of the barcode should be "398".

Hope this helps someone save some heartache next weekend. Go Blue.

Fieldy'sNuts

September 26th, 2017 at 2:52 PM ^

We don't like Baumgardner because he's an MSU graduate who roots for Michigan to lose games. Now that he's at Freep (which no one reads or links to) it cleans that issue up nicely. 

BlueinOK

September 26th, 2017 at 4:25 PM ^

I like Baumgardner. He is my favorite of the beat reporters to follow plus he posts some funny stuff on twitter. He's even better in person. I met the guy this spring when we both were covering some college basketball (I freelance sometimes) and he was awesome. Some of the best Harbaugh stories I've ever heard were with him.

darkstar

September 26th, 2017 at 2:28 PM ^

Concur. Heard from people in various cities (Chicago, G Rapids) that this is becoming a bigger problem.  Sporting events, concerts, etc.

I was looking for tickets last year to UM-ILL and hit a guy up on Craigslist.  He said the tickets were in "Row B".  I said that UM Stadium doesn't do alphabetic rows.  Guy hung up on me.

MH20

September 26th, 2017 at 2:49 PM ^

But in this instance you are wrong because there absolutely is a row B in Michigan Stadium.  I sat in row 1 of Section 3 for the 2007 Penn State game and there were two rows of people in front of me labeled B and A.

UMAmaizinBlue

September 26th, 2017 at 2:31 PM ^

Tickets online when the picture provided includes the barcode - scammers can use this barcode on resale sites and sell an ecopy. First persaon through the gates at the game gets the seat, so be cautious out there folks!

Blue in PA

September 26th, 2017 at 3:06 PM ^

Leaving the Air Force game there were a couple people collecting used tickets for their "collection".  It seemed very odd, but whatever.

Are these jokers able to somehow take used tickets and copy the barcodes or ticket numbers or something to create bogus tickets for future games?

 

 

LSA91

September 26th, 2017 at 3:18 PM ^

I saw the ticket "collectors" outside the last time I went to a game - I googled it, but can't figure out what they want with a bucket full of tickets.  Maybe they're going to make some kind of sports memorabilia?

MH20

September 26th, 2017 at 3:34 PM ^

In the 11 years I've had season tickets I've seen numerous people with these signs just outside the stadium after games, oftentimes with what looks like the exact same sign (different person person week to week but the same wording, same handwriting).  My gut says they want them for something shady but evidently it hasn't gotten back to the University or AAPD if they are indeed up to no good because they're there after every game.

MichiganMan2011

September 26th, 2017 at 3:16 PM ^

Any advice on how to avoid fake / already used tickets in person? Was thinking about scalping a ticket last minute outside the gate and don't want to get punked. Any other advice on scalping tickets outside the Big House would be much appreciated. Thanks & Go Blue!

Stuck in Ohio

September 26th, 2017 at 3:53 PM ^

I had the correct spelling and everything. That final missing piece....398 on the barcode, is what I need to finish my printing. Gonna be a good week. Thanks!!

Seriously, to MgoMediocrity, sorry that you got scammed. Society in general is going down the shitter.

I dumped the Dope

September 26th, 2017 at 9:31 PM ^

a person starting with actual legit original tickets, selling them via stubhub (which as I understand generates a new barcode for the "printable version" and ixnays the old barcode from the original tix), and then taking the originals to the street and selling those for cash.

It wouldn't be until the cash buyer got to the gates of the stadium and was denied entry for an illegit scan?  

I dunno, with this fail mode stuck in my head I don't think I could ever buy a ticket off the street unless the seller let me take a pic of them + their driver's license (kidding of course but I don't think I'd ever buy a cash ticket off the street ever again)