Football Fans Cautioned about Possible Super Bowl Scams

HARRISBURG – Acting Attorney General Bill Ryan cautioned consumers to be wary of potential scams surrounding the upcoming Super Bowl, including bogus sweepstakes offers, “too good to be true” travel packages or game-day ticket offers.

“It is important for football fans to carefully review the details of any ticket offer or travel promotion before handing over cash or credit card information,” Ryan said. “Scam artists are counting on the fact that enthusiastic fans will get caught up in the excitement of the Super Bowl and will not be as attentive as they should be.”

Ryan said that in past years, Pennsylvania residents have been targeted by scam emails and bogus contests linked to the Super Bowl and other major sporting events.  Typically, potential victims are told that they have won tickets to the game and are asked to wire transfer money to a “claims agent” in order to pay for taxes and other fees.

In other scams, Ryan said consumers may receive an authentic looking check – intended to cover some of their expenses – along with instructions to deposit the check and transfer a portion of that money to cover airfare, lodging or other expenses.  In reality, criminals have sent a counterfeit check and are counting on the fact that victims will act quickly and send money before their bank notifies them that the check is worthless.

Ryan also encouraged Steelers fans considering a trip to Texas for the game to shop carefully for their travel packages or tickets:

• Make sure that you are dealing with a reputable travel agent and do not assume that ads offering travel deals are being offered by travel agencies.
• Pay particular attention to what the travel package does and does not offer. Do not assume that every package includes airfare, hotel accommodations and tickets to get into the game.
• If the package includes airfare and a ticket to the game, federal rules apply. The travel agent must either have the game tickets in hand, or have a written contract to obtain the tickets before the agent can make the offer. If a ticket is offered, but never provided, you may be entitled to a full refund of the entire package price.
• Do not be pressured into making an immediate decision about a particular package.
• Research the hotel and its location. In some instances, consumers have been told that their hotel is within walking distance to the venue, when in reality it was too far to walk and required additional expenses to either rent a car or pay for other ground transportation.
• Get all the terms and conditions of your package in writing, including the cancellation policy in the event that you are unable to make the trip.
• Use a credit card to pay for travel packages and tickets. Do not use cash or wire money. You can dispute charges on a credit card and have little-to-no recourse when using cash.
• Be wary of unknown and private sellers who refuse to provide you with verifiable contact information.
• Be cautious of travel packages that appear to be extremely cheap or extremely expensive.
• Contact the Better Business Bureau or Attorney General’s Office to see if the travel agency is in good standing.

“In past years, our office has received complaints from consumers who have fallen victim to phony travel agents and ticket sellers,” Ryan said. “In some of those cases, consumers learned at the gate that their tickets were counterfeit and they were denied entry. In other cases, fans purchased hotel rooms that were inconveniently located or were charged additional fees for services that they thought were included in the package, such as tickets to the game.”

Consumers can file complaints by calling the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection hotline at 1-800-441-2555 or by submitting an online consumer complaint.