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BBB warns World Cup fans: buy from venues, avoid wires and peer-to-peer payments
Summary
Claire Rosenzweig of the Better Business Bureau serving Metropolitan New York told BronxNet that fans should buy tickets from venues or vetted brokers, use credit cards for purchase protection, and report scams to bbb.org/scamtracker, ic3.gov and identitytheft.gov.
Claire Rosenzweig, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Metropolitan New York, warned viewers that scammers are active around major events such as the World Cup and outlined concrete steps consumers can take to reduce risk.
"The best way to get a ticket, no matter what, is from the venue itself," Rosenzweig said. She advised buyers to treat unusually low-priced offers and unsolicited messages as red flags and to verify ticket brokers via the National Association of Ticket Brokers and the BBB before purchasing.
Rosenzweig recommended using a credit card for transactions because of the greater legal protections for consumers, and she urged people not to wire money, buy gift cards for payment, or use peer-to-peer transfers for ticket purchases.
If consumers suspect they have been scammed, Rosenzweig recommended contacting financial institutions immediately, seeking chargebacks when appropriate, and using government resources such as ic3.gov and identitytheft.gov plus the BBB's Scam Tracker (bbb.org/scamtracker) to see reports and patterns in their area.
Her guidance stressed preparation: check a vendor’s domain registration, read terms and refund policies, and confirm that listed broker addresses are legitimate. "When you buy the ticket, you're going in with eyes wide open," she said.
