(WXYZ) — Sunday's Detroit Lions game against the Buffalo Bills could be a preview of the Super Bowl, and resale tickets are going for hundreds of dollars.
However, be careful if you're trying to buy tickets online, as scammers are out in full force.
I'm raising the voices of two ticket-buyers who recently got scammed while trying to buy Detroit Lions tickets.
One fan was a Lions fan while another fan was a Green Bay Packers fan. Both got duped out of tickets for the December 5th game last week.
"What was your hope for that game?" I asked Cristina Dubke, an Eastern Michigan University student who got scammed.
"For my parents to be able to be there," she said.
Dubke had scored the opportunity of a lifetime to play the halftime show on Ford Field with the EMU marching band, but she wanted to include her parents.
"When you found out your daughter was trying to get you tickets to see her perform, what went through your mind?" I asked her dad, Lou.
I thought it was cool," he said.
Cristina joined a Facebook group to try to get tickets, and she started messaging with a person going by the name of Tracy Lynn.
"I scrolled through her Facebook, like, she was very active on her Facebook account. And then when it came down to like giving her the money, she ended up blocking me and not giving me my tickets," she said.
Cristina paid through Apple Cash and lost $300.
"She even had sent me a video of, like, what she looked like and then was like, 'Oh, I'm a real person,' and stuff like that. And I was like, okay, this lady is legit," Cristina said.
Watch that screen recording in the video below
"Any red flags looking back now?" I asked.
"The fact that she gave me two different phone numbers," she said.
"What would you like to tell the scammers?" I asked Lou.
"You know, if you got a heart, send the money back," he said.
Packers fan Kegan Sulkowski was in Detroit last week and wanted to snag some tickets on Facebook, too.
"You actually were in communication with three different people. All three were scammers?" I asked.
"Yeah. So I, at zero point during the entire day was I able to find the ticket through this [facebook marketplace] method," Kegan said.
He lost $350, and one of those scammers was actually the same one who intercepted Cristina with the Tracy Lynn username and profile picture of a happy couple toasting with champagne glasses.
You can see a screenshot of the conversation below with Kegan.
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel issued a warning during the Lions playoff run in January of 2024 about the ticket scams — especially those involving peer-to-peer money apps. The office advised people:
- Only buy from a reputable website
- Use a credit card
- Look for "https" to show the site is secure
- Ask the seller to provide proof of purchase at the time of the transaction
"How did you find the actual tickets in the end?" I asked Kegan.
I just took the bullet, went to Ticketmaster and paid the crazy prices they pay, unfortunately," he said.
For the Dubke's, the loss was about more than just money. Her family missed seeing Cristina perform on Ford Field.
Cristina was told to contact Green Dot Bank which provides Apple Cash services. Green Dot is now investigating, but she hasn't gotten her money back.
Kegan is waiting for Paypal Goods and Services to finish its investigation and hopes to get at least $300 back since the service provides purchase protection.
However, he sent $50 to one scammer using Cash App, which has no buyer protection.
If you have a complaint about tickets you've tried to purchase online, contact your local police or the AG's Consumer Protection Division:
Michigan Department of Attorney General
Consumer Protection Division
P.O. Box 30213
Lansing, MI 48909
(517)335-7599
Toll free: (877)765-8388
Online complaint form
