If Bogus Bad Bunny Tix Ruined Your Trip, The AG Wants To Hear From You

NEW YORK — NYS Attorney General Letitia James is urging New Yorkers to beware of fake Bad Bunny concert tickets.

The AG issued a consumer alert warning New Yorkers of fake or invalid tickets to Benito Antonio Martinez Ocasio "Bad Bunny" concerts.

The wildly popular Puerto Rican musician, with a huge following in New York, is performing concerts in San Juan, Puerto Rico through September 14. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) received a complaint from New Yorkers who purchased tickets to the concert and traveled to Puerto Rico but were denied entry to the concert because they were told their tickets were invalid.

"Bad Bunny is a musical icon in New York, and scammers are taking advantage of his popularity to sell fake concert tickets," James said. "People have paid thousands of dollars to travel to Puerto Rico and see Bad Bunny perform, only to be turned away at the door because the tickets they were sold were fake. Too often, scammers take advantage of big events to dupe people out of their hard-earned money, and I am urging New Yorkers to take caution when purchasing their Bad Bunny concert tickets."

James is urging New Yorkers to follow tips provided by her office to avoid concert ticket scams and to contact her office if they were sold fake or invalid tickets by filing a complaint online.

• Check to see if the venue, performer, or event has an official, verified source for buying and reselling tickets.
• If you are buying tickets from a ticket reseller, only purchase through a reputable ticket resale platform that guarantees it will provide a refund if something goes wrong. An illegitimate reseller could provide a ticket that is counterfeit or in a location that is different than what was advertised, or not provide a ticket at all.
• Be wary of ticket prices that are too good to be true or sold with any high-pressure sales tactics. Ask questions of the seller to verify that the tickets are legitimate. Ask to see their proof of purchase. If the deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
• If you buy from an online ticket broker, check out its reputation first through the Better Business Bureau and consumer complaint sites. Tickets from reputable online brokers may be expensive, but they may come with added protections. For example, some brokers will provide replacement tickets or full refunds if the tickets turn out to be fake.
• Be wary of tickets that are printed at home. Even though a ticket looks authentic, it may not be. Many venues allow consumers to print tickets from their personal computers. Scammers can sell the same ticket to multiple buyers. Based on the barcode, only the first buyer to show up at the venue will get in. Counterfeiters can also reproduce barcodes – you may get into the venue, but then the real ticket holder shows up and you have to leave. When possible, seek out tickets printed by the venue.

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, you can contact the Office of the Attorney General by calling 1-800-771-7755 or file an online complaint.