Las Vegas Ticket and Event Scam Checklist

With constant residencies, sporting events, and conventions, Las Vegas sees a steady stream of fake or duplicated ticket sales. Here's how to avoid getting burned.

Before you buy:

• Use official venue box offices or established resale platforms with buyer guarantees over random social media sellers.
• If buying secondhand, ask for a screenshot of the original purchase confirmation and verify the barcode/QR code hasn't already been transferred or scanned.
• Be wary of "last minute, must sell today" pressure — a classic tactic to prevent you from verifying anything.
• Never pay via a payment method with no buyer protection (many peer-to-peer apps offer none once you send as "friends and family").

Red flags:

• Seller can't or won't video-call to show the ticket in the app it was purchased through.
• Price is drastically below face value for a sold-out event.
• Seller pushes you to move the conversation off the marketplace to a private chat immediately.
• Multiple "sellers" posting the same seat numbers across different accounts.

If you got scammed: Screenshot the entire conversation and payment record immediately. Dispute the charge with your payment provider if possible. Report to the platform where the sale occurred (most resale platforms have fraud reporting). Document it on VegasBlacklist with your evidence, including the account handle used, so others searching that seller can see the pattern.

Last reviewed: [DRAFT DATE — update before publish]