How scammers stole Red Sox fan's $650 World Series ticket
Attending a World Series game is every baseball fan’s dream. As one baseball fan with tickets to Game 2 of the World Series in Boston learned though, holding a ticket can become a nightmare if you share too much information.
According to WXFT in Boston, Robbie Johnson of nearby Wellesley, Massachusetts was prepared to attend Game 2 between the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers with his sister after his family had purchased each a $650 ticket. However, the 28-year-old ended up stunned when he arrived to the ballpark and his ticket wouldn’t scan.
Scammers strike
As many excited baseball fans do, Johnson says he posted a picture of his ticket on Instagram to let his friends and followers know he was going to the game.
That proved to be a costly mistake.
The photo was spotted by scammers capable of making a duplicate ticket. Once the scammers had the information needed, they were able to recreate a ticket that replaced the original and allowed them access to Fenway Park.
“I went to ticket services and that’s where I was informed [the] ticket had been scanned at 5:09 p.m., a couple of hours before we got there,” Johnson told WXFT.
Incidents like this have become common for major sporting events and concerts. We’ve even seen people steal information from media credentials, which have allowed them access to exclusive media events such as a Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor press conference.
The story says Johnson did end up getting into the game, but had to pay $450 for a second ticket. It’s reported the person who went in with his original ticket never sat in the seat.
How to avoid being ticket scammed
Posting photos of tickets on Instagram or other social media sites isn’t the problem. It’s not protecting the information that leads to trouble.
Covering the bar code and even the seat location is advised. Simply put, the scammers can’t use information they don’t have, so don’t give them any information.
It was a tough lesson for Robbie Johnson and his family to learn, but it’s a mistake every sports fan can learn from.
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