A Macomb County man has fallen victim to a Detroit Lions ticket fraud scheme on social media.
The man went to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office at 4:30 p.m. to report the crime, saying he responded to a post on Facebook from a woman selling two tickets to the Lions playoff game on Sunday (Jan. 21).
Officials say he and the seller communicated via text message, agreed on a price, and arranged for payment through Venmo. The man sent payment for the tickets to the seller.
He was subsequently asked for additional money to transfer the tickets into his name. At that time, the individual became suspicious that he had been scammed.
He declined to send additional funds and came to the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office to file a report.
The MCSO has been unable to reach the seller and is investigating the matter further.
Macomb County Sheriff Anthony Wickersham reminds residents through social media about the prevalence of financial scams.
According to a report by the Federal Trade Commission, between January 2021 and June 2023, Americans lost $2.7 billion in scams originating on social media.
Helpful ways to avoid scams on social media can be found below:
- Limit who can see your posts and information.
- If you get a message from a friend about an opportunity or an urgent need for money, call them. Their account may have been hacked.
- If someone on your social media rushes you to start a friendship or romance, slow down. Never send money to someone you haven’t met in person.
- Before you buy, check out the company. Search online for its name plus “scam” or “complaint.”