How to Check for Fake Superbowl Tickets

Counterfeited Super Bowl tickets are sold for profit; meanwhile, the unsuspecting purchaser shows up at the stadium with a worthless piece of paper. The average cost of Super Bowl tickets range from $900 to over $2000, depending on the time of purchase. Usually, the earlier you buy the tickets, the less you'll pay. If you've decided at the last minute to attend the game, you may find it difficult to distinguish between a legitimate ticket seller and a scam artist.

Instructions

    • 1

      Look on the back of the ticket. Authentic Super Bowl tickets will have a black Super Bowl logo hologram that changes to green when you move the ticket. The location and date of the game is also visible inside the hologram. Fake Super Bowl tickets often have a cheap silver sticker in place of the hologram.

    • 2

      Turn the ticket over, and set it in the sun for a few minutes. Authentic Super Bowl tickets have the Super Bowl game number printed on the back with special ink, which disappears when exposed to heat. If the game number on your ticket does not disappear, the ticket is a fake.

    • 3

      Inspect the ink on the ticket. The printing should be embossed and slightly raised from the ticket. If your ticket has flat, matte printing or printing that is generally sloppy, the ticket is most likely a fake.

    • 4

      Feel the paper on which the ticket is printed, and check to see if the ticket has perforated edges. Authentic Super Bowl tickets are printed on the highest quality stock and have perforated edges. If your ticket is printed on cheap card stock or does not have perforated edges, it is a fake.

    • 5

      Think back to when, where and how you purchased the ticket. If you bought the ticket at the last minute, it is more likely to be a fake, since most counterfeit tickets are sold right before game day. If you purchased the ticket online and were required to provide a money order or meet someone with cash, the ticket is more likely to be a fake. Legitimate sellers online will always accept credit cards, and using one to purchase the ticket makes it much easier to take action if the ticket ends up being illegitimate.