Adelaide Crows fans are being warned to watch out for online ticket scams ahead of Friday night's semi-final clash with Hawthorn.
Anyone searching for last-minute tickets is urged to be careful of tickets being sold on platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and other social media sites or websites.
Some fans have already been targeted ahead of previous matches paying hundreds of dollars for tickets that never arrived.
As the footy finals hits fever pitch, there is expected to be even more people vying for tickets creating an opening for scammers to try take advantage of eager fans.
That's why it's important to be wary of tickets offered from unknown sellers on social media or through unofficial websites.
Scammers can set up fake Facebook profiles, join fan pages or community marketplaces and target people looking for tickets.
They may either post or directly contact consumers to advise they have tickets available for sale. Scammers may also respond to social media posts from buyers looking to obtain tickets.
Be wary of heavily marked up prices - tickets must not be advertised for sale at more than 110% of its original cost to purchase – and only purchase through the authorised reseller. For Adelaide Crows tickets at Adelaide Oval, the authorised reseller is Ticketek.
Online ticket scams are among the most common 'buying and selling' scams with Australians losing more than $26 million to this type of scam last year, according to ACCC figures.
More than $3.7 million was conned from South Australians alone.
Anyone who suspects they have been scammed should report it to Scamwatch via https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam
As put by Andrea Michaels
Anyone who is on the hunt for last-minute Crows tickets is being warned to please be careful of scammers.
We've already had reports of people being conned out of hundreds of dollars for tickets that didn't exist.
No matter how desperate you are for a ticket, only buy tickets through Ticketek as the authorised reseller.
Be wary of claims of tickets for sale from unknown sellers on social media or through unofficial websites.
Inflated prices are a massive red flag that the deal is dodgy and should be avoided at all costs.
