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Each year, hundreds of thousands of events take place—from sporting events and concerts to conferences and college reunions. Cyber criminals and scammers take advantage of your excitement and desperation to attend an event, especially those that are sold out. But armed with some knowledge, you can spot and avoid these attempts rather than taking the bait.
Common Ticket Scams
Ticket scams can take a variety of different forms. Some of the most common include:
- Selling a ticket that is invalid or expired and doesn’t work at the venue
- Selling a ticket but the ticket is never sent to you
- Selling a ticket then demanding more money after the initial payment is sent
- Selling a higher-priced ticket but sending a ticket that does not match what you paid for
- Selling a ticket to an event that doesn’t actually exist
How to Avoid Ticket Scams
The safest way to avoid these scams is to purchase event tickets directly through the venue or official ticket seller, either in person or through their official website.
For Villanova-related event tickets, please use the following links:
Sites such as BallParks or CloseSeats are not approved or affiliated with Villanova for selling tickets to university events.
What to Do if You've Been Scammed
If you know or believe you’ve been scammed, don't panic. You can take action to limit the impact and help stop others from being scammed.
- Stop all communication with the cyber criminal immediately and block their number or email address.
- Document and preserve any evidence of the scam, including dates, times, payment amounts, and communications.
- Contact your local police department or the Villanova University Department of Public Safety, discuss the incident in as much detail as possible, and file an incident form.
- Contact your credit card company or bank (whichever was used in the ticket scam transaction) to file a dispute and request a refund.
- If a ticket seller was impersonated, look up their official contact information and call to discuss your concerns with a representative. Document the conversation and any promised action, then follow up in writing via email.
- Send a demand letter to the merchant involved with the scam. Outline the scam, your damages, and your demands. If you had a previous conversation with a representative, mention the name of the person you spoke with, the date, and any promised action.
Additional Resources