Successfully scoring summer concert tickets

To paraphrase Taylor Swift, buying concert tickets shouldn’t feel like a bear attack. But for many people hoping to see their favorite artist, sports team, or theatrical cast live, scoring tickets before they sell out can seem impossible.

Why? Sometimes there just aren’t enough tickets available for everyone who wants to go. But sometimes, you might be competing with people who break the rules.

To give everyone a chance, ticket issuers often limit the number of tickets a person can buy to one event. But some buyers hide their identities to get around issuers’ security and purchasing rules. They might mask their real IP address, use multiple accounts, or use software programs (sometimes called “bots”). Their goal? Buy lots of tickets at face value they can resell for a profit.

The FTC has previously brought several cases against ticket brokers that hid IP addresses or used fake accounts to violate online ticket purchasing rules. And a recent White House Executive Order called on the FTC to protect fans by vigorously enforcing online ticket sale laws.

Learn more about online ticket sales. And if you think a ticket broker isn’t playing by the rules, report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

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