CALGARY – The Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Winnipeg Blue Bombers have both landed in Calgary for this weekend's Grey Cup Final, but the Better Business Business says scammers have also taken notice and are working to con victims out of their money.

The agency says it wants to make sure fans pay attention and avoid the nasty pitfalls designed by con artists to snare victims.

Fake identities, re-selling the same tickets multiple times and even duplicated or fake tickets are some of the most common schemes, the BBB says.

By using a fake identity, consumers are taken in by the ploy and believe the seller to be a trustworthy individual. Once that's been established, the victim is much more likely to hand over their money and be duped.

Scammers, who often buy tickets online and have them sent to their emails, use those e-tickets to draw in victims through using online resellers like eBay or Craigslist. Since there is no way to limit the number of times tickets can be sold through that avenue, scammers can "sell" the tickets multiple times and walk away with the money.

Some online resellers have taken steps to stop fraudulent ticket purchases. Kijiji announced, as of Sept. 29, 2019, that ads selling tickets to events would be prohibited.

The BBB calls the move "a good decision."

"Issues of authenticity of the tickets being sold and whether or not the identity of the seller is fake or real are issues that harm resale on online social platforms," says BBB spokesperson Shawna-Kay Thomas. "There is also the possibility of sellers reselling e-tickets multiple times. It's convenient to get tickets on social platforms but the potential for people being duped have to be considered."

More elaborate thieves employ the use of printing devices that can produce realistic-looking tickets and sell them directly to sports fans. It's only when victims try to attend the event that they realize they've been scammed.

The BBB offers the following tips to avoid being scammed:

  • Purchase from official ticket sales agents whenever possible.
  • Use secure payment methods such as a credit cards, which can provide some recourse in case you fall victim to a scammer.
  • Watch out when looking for online deals, because some ads for cheap tickets can lead to malicious websites designed to scam you and steal personal information.
  • Verify the authenticity of a vendor's website on bbb.org and make sure they are a member of the Canadian Ticket Brokers Association.
  • Never, ever, wire money to someone you don't know because such transfers are difficult to trace and once the money is gone, it's virtually impossible to recover.

Both the BBB and Calgary Police Service say there have been no reports of any victims being scammed so far.

The 107th Grey Cup takes place this weekend at McMahon Stadium.