Gephardt: Garth Brooks Fans Beware Of Scammers Selling Fake Tickets
Jul 8, 2021, 6:10 PM | Updated: 8:39 pm
WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah – Garth Brooks fans, beware. There is a scam targeting you. The call came to the KSL Investigators from a local radio station after fans reported being ripped off.
In the world of country music, the names do not get any bigger than Garth Brooks. It marks nearly five years since the superstar wowed fans at a Salt Lake City venue. When tickets for the July 17th Garth Brooks Stadium Tour performance at Rice-Eccles Stadium went up for sale, they sold out in just 30 minutes.
Brooks himself tweeted that set a record. Not long after that, he called up radio station Z104.
YOU SHOWED UP! #GARTHinSALTLAKE is Ticketmaster's fastest stadium sell out in US history! 50,000 tickets in less than 30 minutes! Touring is BACK. Utah, Idaho, this is going to be the time I'VE been waiting for! Way to go @Ticketmaster! Counting the days to see U-tah! love, g
— Garth Brooks (@garthbrooks) May 6, 2021
“He approached us and said, ‘Hey, why don’t we do a dive-bar show?’” said Z104 deejay and co-host, Deb Turpin.
The night before Brooks hits Rice-Eccles, he is putting on a pre-show at a West Valley City pub. Here is the thing: Rather than selling tickets and risking them being snatched up by ticket scalpers and bots, Brooks is giving away ‘access’ to true fans.
“The ONLY way to get tickets is to listen and win your tickets from Z104,” Turpin explained.
Technically, winners will not get tickets. Instead, they will get their name on a list and then can only get into the pre-show by showing their driver’s licenses and proof of vaccination.
I know you REALLY want to go – and so do scammers. How to make sure your @garthbrooks tickets are really 'good,' and the bogus ones we found for sale online – tonight on @KSL5TV News at 6PM. pic.twitter.com/Ht839dfZfG
— Matt Gephardt KSL (@KslMatt) July 8, 2021
In the process of making some listener’s days, Turpin and her co-host, Dave Gunderson, have also been hearing from frustrated fans.
“‘I bought tickets to your show. How do I get my tickets?’” said Turpin. “‘They haven’t come yet!’”
It has forced them to deliver bad news to those frustrated friends – those purchased tickets are not legit. To combat the scam, Turpin and Gunderson are talking about it on their show and called the KSL Investigators in the hopes viewers also get the warning before it is too late.
“Please do not give your money to scammers on Facebook or any other ad you might see,” Turpin said. “It’s not possible to buy these tickets.”
At least one of the scammers appeared to be searching for victims on Facebook Marketplace. Facebook is telling people were ripped off to contact police and report the scammers on Facebook Marketplace so the post can be removed.
Learn how to report a seller, buyer, or item for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
