Summer is the time to have fun outside, explore your area and possibly take in a concert or festival. While these summer activities sound enticing, consumers should be wary when purchasing tickets to any event.

Scammers often target festival goers by selling tickets for non-existent events or festivities that don’t fulfill expectations. Protecting yourself from these scammers by doing your own research will ensure that you have a summer filled with happy memories rather than

Last year, BBB Scam Tracker received more than 300 reports of ticket scams nationwide. Scammers take advantage of these events with large crowds by creating fake websites, flashy social media ads and discounted deals. Victims have reported purchasing tickets and showing up to the event only to find out the event never existed or fell far short of organizers’ promises.

BBB offers Washingtonians these tips to spot festival fraud:

• Research the festival. Search online for the festival and make sure the name advertised matches the website. Scammers often use names that sound like real festivals. It’s also wise to check BBB Scam Tracker to see if reports have been filed about the event.
• Look for (working) contact information. Check the official website for a phone number, physical address and email address. Be wary of sites that rely on a contact form instead of offering a customer service phone number. Contact forms make it hard to reach someone from the company.
• Avoid too good to be true discounts. There is no way a festival can offer tickets at extremely low prices without losing money. If the prices are much lower than elsewhere, it’s likely a scam.
• Double check with other sources. If a music festival offers top entertainment, check out those bands’ actual touring schedule. See what other users or news outlets have said about the festival in the past.
• Here’s how festival goers can protect themselves:
• Pay with protection. Paying with a credit card offers consumers protection if scammed. The credit card company can help obtain a refund if the tickets are fake. Be wary of online sellers that ask to wire money and don’t accept credit cards.
• Look for secure sites. The website should begin with https (the “s” is for secure) and include a lock symbol on the address bar.
• Research the seller. Before deciding to purchase tickets on other sites make sure to research the seller at bbb.org. Secure, legal sites for second-hand purchases include StubHub.com, Seat Geek and BBB Accredited business Vivid Seats. These sites guarantee their consumers and sellers a secure transaction.

For more information about festival scams, visit bbb.org/festivalfraud and consumer.ftc.gov/blog/eat-drink-and-be-wary. Consumers are also encouraged to report scams to BBB Scam Tracker to help protect others from these types of scams.