LITTLE ROCK- Many Arkansans are excited to get back to pre-COVID activities, including going to concerts. As musicians resume their tours, so do scam artists. Simmons Bank Arena has contacted the Attorney General's Office concerning websites attempting to sell speculative tickets, which are not real tickets, to events like the upcoming Harry Styles concert. Speculative listing is when unofficial sellers list tickets for sale even though they do not actually have those tickets. This practice is fraudulent, unethical and takes advantage of fans and performers. Most venues, including Simmons Bank Arena, utilize legitimate services, such as Ticket Master Verified Fan, as their official source to purchase tickets to ensure that fans are able to purchase tickets and to prevent con artists and scalpers from ripping off consumers.

"These websites are nothing more than online scalpers who charge exorbitant fees selling fake tickets to consumers," said Rutledge. "I will always fight back against  scammers and con artists who try to take advantage of hard working Arkansans."

Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge issues the following tips to help Arkansans protect themselves when looking to buy concert tickets.

• Buying tickets from the official source verified by the venue website is the safest way to purchase a real ticket to an event. 
• Only purchase from official sources during the official on sale time.
• Research the seller or broker with the Better Business Bureau and ensure they are a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers.
• A legitimate ticket broker will offer a refund policy. Only buy tickets from a reseller that provides clear details about the terms of the transaction.
• Always use a credit card to make a ticket purchase because credit card laws provide buyers with some recourse if the tickets are fraudulent.
• Check the seats ahead of time. Ask for section, row and seat numbers to avoid obstructed views and purchasing tickets that do not exist.
• Stick with well-known ticket sellers who offer guarantees and policies that protect buyers and have the ability to investigate and restrict accounts of merchants who violate the policies.
• If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is. Refuse to be rushed. Scam artists often try to hurry prospective buyers into making a decision.

According to AARP, nearly 5 million consumers receive fraudulent concert, sporting event or theme park tickets each year. We can all do our part by ensuring our neighbors, friends, and families are educated on the deceptive practices of scammers and ways to avoid them.

Consumers who think they may have purchased a counterfeit ticket can contact the National Association of Ticket Brokers at 630-510-4594 or the Arkansas Attorney General's Public Protection Department.

For more information and tips on how to avoid a scam, call the Arkansas Attorney General's Office at (800)-482-8982 or visit ArkansasAG.gov.

About Attorney General Leslie Rutledge

Leslie Carol Rutledge is the 56th Attorney General of Arkansas. Elected on November 4, 2014, and sworn in on January 13, 2015, she is the first woman and first Republican in Arkansas history to be elected as Attorney General. She was resoundingly re-elected on November 6, 2018. Since taking office, she has significantly increased the number of arrests and convictions against online predators who exploit children and con artists who steal taxpayer money through Social Security Disability and Medicaid fraud. Further, she has held Rutledge Roundtable meetings and Mobile Office hours in every county of the State each year, and launched a Military and Veterans Initiative. She has led efforts to roll back government regulations that hurt job creators, fight the opioid epidemic, teach internet safety, combat domestic violence and make the office the top law firm for Arkansans. Rutledge serves on committees for Consumer Protection, Criminal Law and Veterans Affairs for the National Association of Attorneys General. She also served as the former Chairwoman of the Republican Attorneys General Association.

A native of Batesville, she is a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. Rutledge clerked for the Arkansas Court of Appeals, was Deputy Counsel for former Governor Mike Huckabee, served as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Lonoke County and was an Attorney at the Department of Human Services before serving as Counsel at the Republican National Committee. Rutledge and her husband, Boyce, have one daughter. The family has a home in Pulaski County and a farm in Crittenden County.