It’s the day many football fans have been waiting for: single-game tickets for the Seahawks go on sale today. Last year the coveted tickets sold out within minutes, leaving many fans desperate to find alternative ways to score tickets. Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington reminds consumers to tread carefully when searching for tickets, considering a number of them may be fake.

BBB offers the following tips to Hawk fans:

• ·         Use credit cards when buying game tickets. If the tickets don’t arrive or turn out to be fakes, charges can be disputed.
• ·         Never wire money. Con artists often use classified websites such as Craigslist to post non-existent tickets, and then ask for payment to be wired.
• ·         Inspect the tickets carefully. If the tickets appear suspicious, walk away. Look for smeared ink, uneven edges and flimsy paper.
• ·         Buy from a credible source. Online classified ads list thousands of sports tickets, but oftentimes there are no guarantees and sellers don’t have to provide identification to list tickets. Always research ticket sellers and brokers first at bbb.org.
• ·         Be suspicious of super-low costs. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Always take time to choose authorized ticket and merchandise retailers; check with the official Seahawks site for more information.

BBB wants to help fans kick off the NFL season right. For more advice on avoiding common scams, visit BBB’s News & Events page.