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Ticket resale scams: how to buy concert and game tickets safely

Buy from the official seller or venue first, and if it is sold out, use a resale platform that offers a buyer guarantee. Be very careful with tickets sold by strangers on social media or free listings: never accept a screenshot as proof, and never pay with Zelle, a payment app, gift cards or a wire. Pay by credit card, so you can dispute the charge if the tickets are fake.
A crowd seen from behind at a night-time outdoor concert, with bright stage lights cutting through smoke
Photo: Pexels on Pixabay

Before you buy tickets from a stranger

Tap each one as you check it.

How ticket resale scams work

Most start where fans look when a show sells out: social media posts, comments, groups and free listings. Some sellers have no tickets at all. Others sell the same seats to many people, a risk the FTC flags for big events.

The FTC also warns that scammers use paid search results and social media to send buyers to fake ticket websites built to look official. Check the web address carefully before you pay.

What a fake ticket sale looks like

Example. Names and numbers are made up.

Every line is a warning sign: the urgency, the screenshot, and a payment method with no buyer protection. The BBB says never accept screenshots as proof of tickets because they can be easily duplicated.

Where to buy resale tickets safely

  • The venue or the official seller first. The BBB says to buy from the venue whenever possible.
  • The event's own resale or exchange marketplace, if it has one.
  • A resale platform with a written buyer guarantee. The FTC suggests checking what protections it offers before you buy.
  • A broker who belongs to the National Association of Ticket Brokers. The BBB says NATB members offer a 200% purchase guarantee.

Before you buy from any reseller, the FTC suggests asking how you will get the tickets, when, and whether they will replace them or refund you if something goes wrong.

Fake ticket red flags and safe signs

Signs it is a scam

  • Only a screenshot or a photo of the tickets
  • Paper tickets for an event that uses mobile tickets
  • Wants Zelle, Venmo, Cash App, gift cards or a wire
  • Prices far below what everyone else is asking
  • Pressure to pay now because others are waiting
  • A website address that is slightly off from the real one

What a safe purchase looks like

  • Tickets transferred through the official ticketing app
  • Bought from the venue, official seller or a guaranteed platform
  • Paid by credit card
  • A price in line with other listings
  • Clear answers on delivery, timing and refunds
  • You typed the site address yourself

How to pay for tickets

The BBB says always use a credit card so you have some recourse if the tickets are not as promised. It also warns about resellers who ask for unusual payment methods, such as gift cards or wiring money.

Paying a stranger with Zelle or another payment app works like handing over cash. See Zelle scams and Venmo and Cash App scams for what those services do and do not cover.

If it already happened

  1. If you paid by credit or debit card, call the card issuer or bank and ask to dispute the charge.
  2. If you used a payment app or Zelle, report it in the app and to your bank right away and ask them to reverse the payment.
  3. If you bought through a resale platform, file a claim under its buyer guarantee.
  4. Report the seller's profile or listing to the social media site or marketplace, and keep the messages and receipts.
  5. If you think a ticket broker is breaking the rules, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
  • ReportFraud.ftc.govReport the scam to the Federal Trade Commission.
  • IC3.govThe FBI’s internet crime complaint center, for losses online.
  • IdentityTheft.govIf they got your ID, Social Security number or account details.

Questions

Is it safe to buy tickets on Facebook?
It is risky. You usually cannot see whether the tickets exist, and sellers often ask for payment methods with no protection. Buy from the venue or a resale platform with a guarantee when you can.
How do I know if resale tickets are real?
A screenshot proves nothing. Real mobile tickets are transferred to your own account in the official ticketing app, and a guaranteed resale platform will refund or replace tickets that do not work.
Can I get my money back if I paid with Zelle for fake tickets?
Often not. Zelle works like cash for payments you send yourself, so contact your bank straight away and ask, but expect it to be hard.
What is speculative ticketing?
The BBB describes it as selling tickets the reseller does not have yet, and may never have. The order can be cancelled close to the event.

Realr does not check tickets or payments, but before you pay a stranger you can ask them to prove who they are with a Realr check.

Ask the seller to verify

Sources

Checked against the sources above on 17 October 2026. By Manav Sharma, Marketing Team, Realr. This is general guidance, not legal advice.

Ask them to prove who they are, before you pay or meet.

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