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Feb 1, 2010 6:53 pm US/Eastern
Police Crack Down On Fake Super Bowl Tickets
MIAMI (CBS4) ―
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They are the hottest ticket in South Florida and good luck getting one for the face value of just $900.
Tim Kephart/CBS
Super Bowl is expected to generate lots of money for South Florida, but Miami Gardens police will be on the lookout making sure thieves aren't profiting.
That's because many will be hocking fraudulent Super Bowl tickets. For the right price, some may be tempted to take the offer, but officials warn against it.
The least expensive ticket found online at this point will run you about $1,500.
"This is your typical average Super Bowl, not high, not low," Todd, of Todd Tickets told CBS4's Peter D'Oench.
Authorities warn against buying any tickets off the street. There are vendors who can legally sell you tickets, as long as they have a city permit. But that may not always be enough protection.
"For the customers, you should buy this sort of ticket with a credit card, that way you have some sort of protection instead of paying cash," Capt. Ralph Suarez of Miami Gardens.
The Super Bowl host committee recommends this website
www.nfl.com/ticketexchange to safely buy tickets and not pay a broker's fee. Still, the cheapest tickets on the site will set you back $1,500.
That's because selling tickets above face value is no longer illegal.
Tickets were found on other web sites and through brokers, but they were even more expensive.
"I've just bought from the original site, or sometimes from Stub Hub or Ticket Master," said Rick Bernstein of Davie.
Bernstein attended the last Super Bowl in South Florida and has some advice on how to avoid counterfeit tickets.
"Too good to be true, that's one thing," Bernstein said. "Also, watch out for the issue of paper tickets that can be printed out of a computer."
His father echoed similar sentiments.
"Get a hard copy, don't pay cash and like my son says, always go with an authorized dealer," said Harvey Bernstein.
Police say you will not get in trouble for buying a counterfeit ticket, however, it will be confiscated. If you sell one for more than $300, then that's grand theft and you could face a felony.
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