Boston police warn fans of counterfeit Celtics, Bruins tickets ahead of playoff push

With both the Celtics and Bruins gearing up for playoff pushes this weekend at the TD Garden, Boston Police are warning the public about fake ticket scams.

Officials are encouraging fans to buy tickets from authorized ticket agencies and to be wary if a deal seems too good to be true.

“Fans who purchase tickets from a secondary source are taking a chance and do so at the buyer’s own risk,” Boston Police said in a press release. “Purchasing [tickets] via other means creates the potential for possessing an invalid and/or counterfeit ticket.”

Ryan White flew into Boston Thursday with his Celtics’ first-round playoff ticket already in tow. The Tampa native used Ticketmaster to purchase his seat to Sunday’s game. He didn’t want to mess around and buy his ticket from an unreliable source.

“Especially being from out of town, I didn’t want to get here to TD Garden, and next thing I know, no I can’t get in,” White said.

U.S. PIRG consumer advocate Teresa Murray has these suggestions for fans looking for Celtics or Bruins playoff tickets:

AVOID BUYING FROM INDIVIDUALS YOU DON’T KNOW

Unless they’re a friend, relative, or co-worker, Murray said you should avoid buying from individuals.

“No Facebook Marketplace, no Craigslist, no Instagram, none of that,” Murray said.

Instead, Murray says to use reputable third-party exchange sites like StubHub, Vivid Seats, and SeatGeek because they offer the most consumer protection.

“The con artists have been busy for a long time thinking of ways to take your money,” Murray said. “There are fake websites out there, all kinds of imposter sites. Don’t fall for it.”

BUY YOUR TICKETS WITH A CREDIT CARD

If you do buy from somebody you don’t know, Murray says always use a credit card, because they offer better protection than cash or peer-to-peer payment apps.

“For goodness sake, please use a credit card, never a debit card or wire transfers,” Murray said.

MAKE SURE THE SEATS EXIST IN THE VENUE

Check the TD Garden Seat Finder to see if your section, row and seat are legitimate.

“People can use Photoshop to make these amazing-looking counterfeits and they’ll put in random rows and seats that don’t exist. You could have figured it out with a real quick search,” Murray said.

BEWARE OF VERIFICATION SCAMS

Watch out for anyone selling tickets who wants you to send a code to verify your identity. That’s usually a scam to create a Google Voice account in your name .

“People get tricked into providing these codes when they’re desperate to buy tickets,” Murray said. “If they encounter a person saying they want to send them a code to verify their identity, RUN! It’s bad news.”

The Boston Bruins are set to play the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs Eastern Conference First Round at the Garden on Saturday at 8 p.m.

The Boston Celtics will play at the TD Garden on Sunday at 1 p.m. in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. Their opponent is yet to be determined.

Anyone with information about the selling of counterfeit tickets is urged to contact Boston Police.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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