SFPD BM Ticket Stings.

[Playa Hater]

So I went out to my local bar last night in downtown SF for my nightly dose of poison and while we were hanging out in there a bunch of undercover SFPD came in. I hear them start talking to the bartender about how they will just be in the bar for a little bit as they are running a sting operation on people selling fake Burning Man tickets. Obviously this caught my attention. Now I know there are some good scammers out there and apparently there are some very real looking fake tickets with replicated numbers, hollograms, and stamps in them. Apparently there is a group in the city who are making basically completely legit looking tickets. Now I have my opinions on the SFPD but I have to say this did make me smile. They went on to explain how they were taking the matter very seriously. I guess at the Outside Lands music festival these scammers were actually walking around offering to sell these fake tickets, kind of like a scalper would do outside of a baseball game. And I guess it actually worked, people were buying them for $500 - $800 a peice. How people would fall for this and just think some random person would have a bunch of legit BM tickets to sell at Outside Lands is beyond me. But then again a lot of scams do rely on the stupidity of people.

Anyhow I just thought it was kind of cool that the SFPD is actually setting up sting operations to catch BM ticket scalpers. This was around the loin at about 9pm last night too. So scalpers beware, I hope you end up selling your fake tickets to an undercover you peices of shit.

[waywardvirtuoso]

I'm having quite a crappy day & am about to give up on my ticket hunt for this year.

This post made me smile big time.

[jkisha]

Good to hear.

[trilobyte]

YES! And they've been getting some help with awesome members of ePlaya who have been filing reports and providing additional information. THANK YOU!!!

[Playa Hater]

I'm having quite a crappy day & am about to give up on my ticket hunt for this year.

This post made me smile big time.

Don't give up your search for tickets. Stay positive.

[Ace of Kittens]

Oh, this is awesome. Thank you for posting!

[Playa Hater]

My pleasure.

[gyre]

Unfortunately, when tickets become valuable enough, they become cost effective to replicate.

One more reason to make a switch away from the standard, scalpable form of transferrable ticket.

[Playa Hater]

True. But anyone who knows what to look for can spot a fake ticket fairly easily. Even the best fakes have obvious flaws. Its the people who don't know what to look for that end up taking the bait. Or people that are just too excited to pay attention to detail. I think also aside from reading the ticket, buyers should also study the seller. Read the person that your buying from. If something feels off then it probably is.

[organicALicia]

True. But anyone who knows what to look for can spot a fake ticket fairly easily. Even the best fakes have obvious flaws. Its the people who don't know what to look for that end up taking the bait. Or people that are just too excited to pay attention to detail. I think also aside from reading the ticket, buyers should also study the seller. Read the person that your buying from. If something feels off then it probably is.

Absolutley!
I met up with this loser a few days ago in Reno, knowing exactly what the tickets look like and what to look for...as soon as I touched them I knew they were fake and then after closer look, they don't stand a chance! (note the difference everyone else commented)
The people that are getting scammed on these tickets are way too desperate and I can't find any sympathy for them...I hadn't heard any of these stories when I met up with the guy and it was not hard to tell they were fake! I told him to take a hike and that I called the cops on him! also reminded him of Karma...

Still looking...arrg!

[Playa Hater]

well I wish you the best of luck.

[gyre]

It's wrong to blame crime victims.


Don't assume all counterfeits will be easy to spot.

For enough money, anything can be replicated.
It is expensive to duplicate a burning man ticket though.
Unfortunately the demand for second hand tickets makes it possible.

[Playa Hater]

It's wrong to blame crime victims.

I used to think so. But ya know what, the victim who leaves their car unlocked in the ghetto and their shit gets stolen, they are to blame. Or say the victims of The Great Burning Man Ticket Sellout of 2011 who didn't get tickets when they had time, they are to blame. I think you can blame the victim to a certain degree. The internet is littered with information on scams and how to avoid them. Some people choose not to educate themselves on this information. And the fact is that a lot of scams do rely on the stupidity of people and their not being informed on what to look for. As far as im concerned if there are things that you can do to avoid bad situations, and your not doing them, you are partially to blame.

Don't assume all counterfeits will be easy to spot.

Defenitely nobody should assume anything but if you know what to look for or have taken a look at a real ticket, its not very hard to spot them.

[Playa Hater]

Don't get me wrong. It sucks that people are being screwed over by these fake tickets, and I do feel bad for them. I know all too well the feeling of being screwed out of your hard earned money. Sometimes there is just nothing you can do. Its a shitty feeling.

[Igneouss]

As described other times here:
The Org needs to move to a system that connects a ticket ID# to a specific name. Will Call already does this. Then make all tickets non transferable. Only the Org can buy back tickets and resell them. That way if someone legitimately needs to sell a ticket, they can do so. Face value minus transaction costs. This would eliminate the need for will call as well.

Lost ticket? As long as you can prove your identity you're in.

No scalping
No CL/eBay scams
No counterfeit tickets
No problem with lost or damaged tickets, etc.

[BBadger]

The Org needs to move to a system that connects a ticket ID# to a specific name. Will Call already does this. Then make all tickets non transferable. Only the Org can buy back tickets and resell them. That way if someone legitimately needs to sell a ticket, they can do so. Face value minus transaction costs. This would eliminate the need for will call as well.

Mmm, no. I like the ability to transact with physical tickets without the blessing of BMOrg. This include purchasing tickets ahead of time for people who I'm not sure will be going or not, without having to put down their name, trading tickets for money or services that may not have equal value, or having any more interaction with BMOrg beyond the initial purchase. Counterfeit tickets are not a big problem, nor scalpers. What will cause problems is forcing people to use these ticket ID systems that create far more overhead in staffing, transaction costs, ticket purchases, etc. It's bad enough the tickets have credit card transaction costs, and shipping charges to obtain them in the first place; I shouldn't need to do that every time I need to transfer a ticket because of service charges, etc.

We'll see if this whole "scalping" issue appears next year. I think it's just a big red herring and that people need to just learn to plan ahead for once in their lives, or miss out.

[griffiti]

Advise from as you as call me...bloodsucking scab eating scum. Yes thats tight i am ticket broker. we have bought and sold tickets for burning man for nine years straight and most of you would recognize me in our usual spots in wadsworth and gerlach. Thats not why i am writing. In addition to all the previous methods of verifying tickets with BMOG which should be first and foremost no mattter how long it takes, Here are additional warning for any buying or SELLING tickets on secondary market..

1) Take a picture of the sellers STATE ISSUED identification *(drivers license or passport). then, if you are misfortunate and get scammed you have something to provide police other than a skeetchy description. Also write down license plate numbers .

2) Only complete face to face transactions in secure well lit heavily populated areas. Banks, casinos, and police stations are excellant choices. YES! police stations. Why not? selling tickets above face value is not illegal. selling bogus tickets is. A real broker or burner with an extra ticket has nothing to worry about and police can verify valid id for buyer. basically you want to exchange tickets for not only money but money and valid identification

3) SELLERS> bring counterfiet pen to detect counterfit money. scammer not only sell fake tickets, they also buy real tickets with fake money. hence banks, casinos and police stations are again great places to cinduct business.

4) Another reason to conduct business in well lit, popilated area is to avoid being robbed!! who who you think is going to buy your tickets or sell you legit tickets nay actually just be setting you uop to rob you. never go alone and again well lit populated areas or protected by camera

i hope this protects you all in not only buying/selling burning man tickets but anytime you buy/sell tickets on secondary market. Hopefully you will reconize difference between tas paying legotmate ticket businesses and scammers.
cheers!1

[squish]

Griffiti, are you on Facebook? Is this from *your* FB page?

"We are a Licenseed Broker of Tickets to the annial Burning Man Festival. We are licensed and pay taxes to the state og Nevada, Washoe County, and Pauite Tribe. We have been servicing the needs of Burners for over 8 years and rent space annually in the town of Gerlach and at the I80 Smokeshop on Tribal ground at exit 43 off I80 in Wadsworth Nevada
Our tickets are 100% Authentic and Guaranteed."

[griffiti]

No.
our facebook page is.... Tickets Online 24-7
our business entity

[meghanbender]

True. But anyone who knows what to look for can spot a fake ticket fairly easily. Even the best fakes have obvious flaws. Its the people who don't know what to look for that end up taking the bait. Or people that are just too excited to pay attention to detail. I think also aside from reading the ticket, buyers should also study the seller. Read the person that your buying from. If something feels off then it probably is.

I had a friend in LA meet with someone in person to pick up my ticket. He took his roommate's REAL ticket with him, compared the two side by side, and went through with the transaction. The fake ticket I got (under the name Cody O'Brien) looks so real, I don't know if I would blame the victims for getting scammed.

I contacted LAPD afterwards and they wouldn't let me place a police report (with the mans phone number, email address, physical description, etc) since I didn't make the transaction. I'm in Ohio and my friend in LA had already run all over LA to make this ticket happen for me, but they said HE would have to go to the station and file the report. If it helps any of YOU though, the man was about 5'9"-5'10", slightly over weight, hispanic with a goatee and met my friend at Union Station (on the scammer's suggestion). Be weary of anyone selling a ticket in these circumstances.

Much Love and Good Luck to Everyone Looking for Tickets. Hopefully the scalpers will drop their prices this week.
-Meghan

[Playa Hater]

As described other times here:
The Org needs to move to a system that connects a ticket ID# to a specific name. Will Call already does this. Then make all tickets non transferable. Only the Org can buy back tickets and resell them. That way if someone legitimately needs to sell a ticket, they can do so. Face value minus transaction costs. This would eliminate the need for will call as well.

Lost ticket? As long as you can prove your identity you're in.

No scalping
No CL/eBay scams
No counterfeit tickets
No problem with lost or damaged tickets, etc.

I vote no.

[Eric]

I had a friend in LA meet with someone in person to pick up my ticket. He took his roommate's REAL ticket with him, compared the two side by side, and went through with the transaction. The fake ticket I got (under the name Cody O'Brien) looks so real, I don't know if I would blame the victims for getting scammed.

The O'Brien ticket is a known scam, and the BMorg has posted about it. Cody O'Brien is not the scammer, somehow they got his ticket info (I don't know if they bought his original ticket or how they got it). Police in the LA & SD area's are aware of it, I just don't know where it is on their priority list. Having your friend file a report would be helpful.

[bucketf2001]

I got burned by this scam today. I responded to a craig's list ad and "Eric" called me back. We met in person in SF this afternoon. I paid cash and asked if he would let me take his picture. Sadly, it was the O'Brien ticket. I feel like a total ass as there was so much information available about this that I had SEEN before the rendezvous. AND, he told me that the ticket was originally from Santa Barbara, ground zero for this scam. Sigh. He returned a few of my texts (which were about an hour later) and said he would meet back up with me, but has since gone dark. I have a phone number and close-up head shot. Should this be reported and, if so, to who? I've read a lot of posts but see conflicting info. Thanks all. Becca

[alicecarol]

I would report this to the SFPD with your picture and physical description of this guy. After seeing the pictures of the fake tickets, it's no wonder people are fooled into buying them. I've seen a real ticket for this year and they seem so hard to tell apart. I would call the cops right away to see if they can try and catch these bastards.