With Kentucky’s most famous horse races less than four weeks away, the Better Business Bureau is warning fans not to fall prey to ticket scams.
Reanna Smith-Hamblin of the Better Business Bureau said while some websites have legitimate ticket offers for the Kentucky Derby and Oaks, any site that asks you to wire money is almost guaranteed to be a scam.
"We have talked to numerous people in the past" who were swindled, Smith-Hamblin said. "One in particular lost a couple thousand dollars on tickets, thinking they were purchasing them through Craigslist or someone legitimate."
Smith-Hamblin said another scam making the rounds in Kentucky and Indiana involves telephone calls from someone claiming to be from “BellSouth” or “Windows.”
The caller claims there’s a security problem with a home computer, and asks to take control of the computer remotely. Once logged in, the scammers will attempt to steal personal information.
Smith-Hamblin advises race fans to check the background of any company selling tickets to those events, and never wire money to anyone claiming to have tickets.
The Oaks race is scheduled for May 1, with the Derby taking place a day later.
(Image via Steve Ryan/Wikimedia Commons)
