SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — With major sporting events drawing crowds across Utah, including Jazz and Mammoth games and the BYU-Utah rivalry, consumer advocates are warning fans to be cautious when buying tickets online.
Ticket prices can be high, making cheaper options on social media or other resale platforms tempting. But those deals can also carry risks.
Joe Ducey, spokesperson for the Better Business Bureau, said one of the biggest problems occurs when consumers buy tickets from sellers or websites they don't know or trust.
“The problem we see with people buying tickets for sporting events is they’re buying tickets from places that aren’t reliable," Ducey said. "Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and places that they’ve never heard of before."
While buyers may be looking to avoid fees charged by larger ticket companies, Ducey said sellers on other platforms may not have been vetted.
For Shaun Kimball, the issue became personal after his brother lost thousands of dollars while trying to buy tickets to Coachella.
Kimball said his brother sent $3,500 to a stranger for tickets that never arrived. Not long after, Kimball found himself looking for a ticket to a Dodgers game through a Facebook buy-and-sell group.
“I didn’t want to put myself in that position that my brother did,” Kimball said. “So I was thinking of some creative ways to eliminate that.”
That experience ultimately led Kimball to create Chekkd, a platform designed to give people tools to help verify sellers and prevent fraud.
“I'm just sick and tired of seeing people get scammed,” Kimball said. “I’ve seen a lot of deals that could get done not get done because two people couldn’t trust each other.”
According to figures cited by the Utah Attorney General’s Office, more than $108 million in losses were reported in 2025.
The Utah Division of Consumer Protection is also hearing directly from consumers. Interim director Daniel Larsen said the division received about 4,900 complaints during the last fiscal year.
“There’s a lot of commercial activity out there and we get involved when people believe they’ve been deceived,” Larsen said.
Larsen recommends consumers slow down and take a closer look at who they are dealing with, particularly when buying something through social media.
“The first thing to look out for is true of pretty much any consumer transaction. That is that if the offer seems too good to be true, it probably is,” Larsen said. “Take your time. Really look at the person you’re buying from.”
Consumers should also consider using a credit card when making purchases because it may provide additional protections if something goes wrong.
With highly anticipated games and events bringing Utahns together, experts said doing a little extra research before sending money could help ensure fans end up inside the venue instead of losing money to a scam.