Oregon Department of Justice

For Oregon Duck football fans, 2010 has been a dream season with an undefeated record and a trip to the championship game. But if you hope to cheer in person at the 2011 Tostitos BCS National Championship Game in Arizona, don't let a con artist turn your dream into a nightmare by selling you counterfeit tickets or bogus travel packages. Below are some tips offered by the Oregon Department of Justice and Attorney General John Kroger to help consumers avoid purchasing fake tickets:

• Scammers often use the lure of cheaper tickets to take consumer's money. Be suspicious of any offer that seems too good to be true, because it probably is.
• Purchase tickets from a reputable ticket distributor.
• Do not purchase tickets sight unseen unless you are using a reputable ticket distributor.
• If using Craigslist, meet the seller face-to-face in a public place. Ask questions about the seats and seller. Get reliable contact information from the seller in case the tickets are counterfeit.
• Confirm that the section, row and seat on your ticket corresponds with a location in the stadium.
• If possible, use a credit card or account-to-account transfer service such as PayPal. If the tickets you purchased aren't delivered, not as advertised or counterfeit, you can dispute the charge.
• Never wire money or give out personal account information to individuals you do not know.
• Purchase tickets before going to the game. Scammers use color printers to create very real-looking tickets and will try to sell them to desperate fans outside of the stadium for quick cash.
• If you purchase a travel package, contact the airline and hotel directly to make certain the reservations are legitimate.
• Verify that any travel agent you are working with to book a travel package is a member of a recognized trade association, such as the American Society of Travel Agents.

Attorney General John Kroger and the Oregon Department of Justice are committed to protecting Oregon's marketplace and keeping scammers on the sidelines. If you or someone you know has fallen victim to a fake ticket scam, please call the Consumer Hotline at 1-877-877-9392.