From a Tampa Police news release:
Tampa Police have arrested a man for selling counterfeit tickets to tonight's College Football Championship game, and are currently investigating several other potential scams.
In the case that already resulted in an arrest, two Alabama Crimson Tide fans told Tampa Police that they arranged to buy tickets for $1,000 apiece from a man they contacted on Craigslist. They met with the man in downtown Tampa on Sunday and received two tickets that resembled the actual game tickets.
They later suspected the tickets might be counterfeit and sought to arrange a scam of their own, as they reached out to the man to arrange the purchase of more tickets.
They met with the man in Ybor City today, recognized him as the man who sold them the counterfeit tickets, and called Tampa Police. They held the man until police arrived.
The case is still under investigation and the suspect has not yet been taken to jail. Tampa Police at Raymond James Stadium are currently investigating several other cases of possible ticket scams.
Tampa Police continue to warn football fans to be very careful when buying tickets from someone on the street or on the Internet.
Tampa Police advise that the safest way to buy tickets is to use an approved vendor.
“However, at this late hour, and with demand for tickets at an extremely high level, it appears that many fans are still trying to get tickets in any way that they can. The message from Tampa Police is: buyer beware. If you have arranged to buy or sell tickets, do it in a safe and public place, and if possible, take a picture of the seller's identification,” wrote Tampa Police spokesperson Steve Hegarty in a news release.
