You were a little late trying to buy a ticket to a local - or not so local - concert, and so you do what a lot of people do, which is post a want ad for a ticket for that concert. Someone says they have the ticket or tickets that you want, and is happy to sell them to you since they can’t make it, and want to recoup at least some of their costs. Oftentimes the tickets are cheaper than if you’d bought them at the box office or similar.

To prove they aren’t scammers, they show you that they do have the tickets. They might even send a video showing them typing in your name in order to transfer them.

But after you send the money - often via something like Paypal’s Friends and Family - they send you a message claiming that Ticketmaster - or a similar company - needs you to pay a “transfer” fee or they can’t release the ticket. You pay it on top of the money you already have, and either the scammer sends you a fake but realistic ticket or blocks you completely.

How to protect yourself
While there are still many legitimate private sellers of tickets, they are drowned out by scammers wanting to make a quick buck. If you need to buy a ticket secondhand, look for a legitimate, well-known company that acts as a sort of broker. This will lessen - though not eliminate - the chance of running into this scam.

Do not use a payment method that doesn’t allow you to recover your money in case your transaction goes south, and be wary of anybody who insists you use such a method.

Be wary of any tickets that seem far cheaper than what they’re going for normally.

If you are unsure as to whether you should pay a fee or not, check the originating platform’s documentation and see if they mention a fee. If they mention there is no fee, then you know the supposed seller is trying to pull something on you.