Lehi resident Jenny Williams wanted to buy tickets to the NBA All-Star Game for her 16-year-old son and 21-year-old daughter. So she said she did what many Utahns do: She went to KSL Classifieds looking for a deal.
With the NBA All-Star Weekend’s slew of activities just days away, Williams said she found a seller offering two tickets for $500 each and no service fee. The seller told her she’d receive the tickets digitally after she paid. Williams said she sent $500 via Apple Pay, and the other $500 through Cash App.
Soon enough it became clear to Williams that she had been scammed out of her $1,000.
“I should have known better,” Williams said. “I should have figured out some way to make him prove he had the tickets or something. But I don’t know, I guess sometimes I’m just too trusting.”
Officials are warning Utahns to exercise caution when considering secondary markets for tickets to NBA All-Star Weekend events.
“If it sounds or looks too good to be true, then trust your instincts,” said Salt Lake police Sgt. Mark Wian. “There are unfortunately people out there who are willing to take sophisticated steps to try to take advantage of our community members.”
What the scammer did to Williams violates a Utah law called the Ticket Website Sales Act. Such a transgression can be reported to the Utah Division of Consumer Protection by using their website, emailing consumerprotection@utah.gov or calling (801) 530-6601.
It can also be reported to police. Wian said people should gather as much information as possible about the person(s) or transaction if they believe they have been scammed. Names, phone numbers, email addresses and screenshots are all helpful, he said.
The Better Business Bureau has several tips on how to avoid online ticketing scams:
• Buy from trusted vendors
• Go through the actual vendor whenever possible
• Know the refund policy, if there is one
• Use payment methods that come with protection
• Verify the tickets if you’re unsure
In an effort to help others not suffer the same fate, she created a post on KSL Classifieds alerting potential buyers to the person who swindled her. She said people have reached out to her since and said they were going to buy tickets from that person, but decided against it after seeing her post.
Williams said she won’t be trying another method to obtain All-Star Game tickets this year due to it no longer being financially feasible.
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