Police: Watch Out for Fake World Series Tickets

If you bought your World Series tickets for tonight’s game from anyone other than a reputable dealer, you could be in for a surprise at the game when you get to the K: Kansas City police fans need to be on the lookout for counterfeit tickets.
Modern design and printing capabilities are making it ever-easier to replicate authentic tickets, and at the prices those seats are going for, police advise that you know the source of your tickets.

“For a big event like this, the scammers and scalpers will come out,” Sgt. Rob Rickett said in a release issued by the KCPD. “They always do.”

Fans scrambling to get in on the first World Series game in Kansas City since 1985 have been hitting the secondary market, police said, since the announcement by Major League Baseball that tickets had been sold out. And even if you use an established broker, it’s no guarantee that the ticket is genuine, so police suggest buying only from those who offer refunds in the event a ticket turns out to be fake.

In 2012, police recovered a dozen counterfeit tickets to the All-Star Game at Kauffman Stadium, and far more unlicensed merchandise and sporting gear—more than $540,000 worth, in all.

Scalping isn’t illegal in Missouri, and there’s a good chance you’ll see people hawking tickets outside of the gate. Police are asking fans to employ common sense—which might be hard to do amid all the excitement—and remember that if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Caveat emptor.