49ers Playoffs: Fans Become Targets Of Ticket Scammers Ahead Of NFC Championship
SANTA CLARA (KPIX 5) – 49ers fans are being warned to watch out for fake ticket scams as Sunday's NFC Championship game against the Rams nears.
Cindy Phan said scammers found out she was searching for tickets to the game on her fan club's Facebook page. She then started getting offers that looked good at first.
"$300 a ticket in section 200-something? It seemed pretty cool. And then I called them, I texted them and it's just going back and forth. And then I kind of realized it was fake. It was very, very creepy," Phan told KPIX 5.
Jesse Mendez is also getting targeted.
"They're still trying to get me right now," Mendez said, holding up his phone screen showing suspicious offers.
"It's $300 a ticket for the 300 section, which are going for about $700 right now on legit sites. They won't take PayPal. I asked them…to send me a picture of their driver's license, they didn't even answer that. Then I asked where they were located and they won't answer that either," Mendez said.
"Anytime we have one of these events that are just high-profile, there is tremendous effort out there to try and sell fraudulent tickets," said former FBI Agent and KPIX 5 Security Analyst Jeff Harp.
According to Harp, it's often the fan's own social media postings that make them a mark. "It's super easy for somebody to go through that information and stalk through there and then call you and say hey I hear you need a couple of tickets," he said
Fans say they do feel preyed upon.
"The tickets are expensive, so if they can lure you in, throw you a nugget of cheaper tickets, then they got you, take your money and go on to the next person," Mendez said.
Harp said fans should stick with reputable ticket outlets.
"Use a credit card where applicable or some other service that lets you track the payment or guarantee the payment," Harp said.
Phan said she is still looking for legitimate tickets, but is thankful she avoided a scam.
"They're taking advantage of us, because we're such big fans, we want to go. We're desperate, we'll jump on anything, you know?" Phan said.