A Greensboro resident lost $1,000 in a ticket scam after attempting to purchase Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup Final tickets through a Facebook group.
RALEIGH, N.C. — Rebecca Cornwell drove to Raleigh for Hurricanes games and wanted to attend Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. She joined an online queue for tickets on the team's official site but found remaining seats priced at $650 or more. She checked resale sites and found prices of at least $1,000.
She turned to a Facebook group called "Carolina Hurricanes Verified Tickets Exchange," which had over 10,000 members and appeared legitimate.
She connected with the group's administrator, Sandy Stamper. Stamper said a "verified seller" was offering two tickets for $500 each and offered to act as a middleman.
Cornwell sent $1,000 via payment requested by Stamper on Sunday at 11:37 a.m. After hours passed without receiving tickets, Stamper blamed delays on the seller. Monday, Stamper's Facebook account had disappeared. The Facebook group remains active under a different administrator.
Cornwell found online complaints about Stamper involving alleged ticket scams, including a reported loss of $3,600.
Actions Taken
Cornwell filed complaints with the Better Business Bureau, Facebook, and the North Carolina Department of Justice. WRAL has requested comment from Stamper but has not received a response.
Consumer Advice
The Better Business Bureau advises avoiding ticket purchases from social media resellers and buying only from reputable vendors. Tickets with constantly changing barcodes are legitimate. Screenshots are a common sign of fraud.