JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Scammers are in full swing during the holidays and right now they’re targeting a beloved local organization.
The Jacksonville Symphony is preparing to host more than 21,000 people for holiday-themed events, but some people looking to attend a performance could fall victim to a scam.
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The administration is warning potential patrons about third-party ticket resellers and potential scammers.
President and CEO Steven Libman said companies are buying large amounts of event tickets and reselling them.
“They’re selling them for a much higher price than we charge. And in some cases, they’re printing multiple tickets. So if a consumer buys a ticket, they may not actually have a seat,” Libman said.
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In some cases, the resellers are demanding refunds from the Symphony if the tickets aren’t sold, which cuts into the Symphony’s profits.
That can add up to tens of thousands of dollars.
Libman said you should only buy tickets from the official Jacksonville Symphony website.
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“And actually they should do that for any product they want to buy. They should carefully check to make sure they’re working through an official website,” Libman said.
The Symphony is taking several countermeasures to prevent scams, according to Libman.
The Symphony has improved its verification for addresses and limited online ticket sales to Florida and Georgia only.
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Others must directly contact the Symphony to buy tickets.
Libman said these countermeasures are working so far.
The Jacksonville Symphony stressed scammers aren’t only targeting it this holiday season. The entertainment industry is being targeted as a whole.
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