DEFENDERS: Counterfeit Kansas City Chiefs playoff tickets circulating

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Police are warning Kansas City Chiefs fans to be careful when buying playoff tickets for the game this Sunday.

The Prairie Village Police Department said it has received two reports of counterfeit tickets circulating the internet.

Det. Caroline Van Cil with the department said "sellers" are posting discounted ticket ads online. Once they get a potential buyer the scammer then uses fake numbers to communicate with the buyer, get the money using an app then later block the buyer once they receive the payment. Van Cil said one victim was out $150. Another lost $500.

Police said the best way to avoid getting scammed is to use a trusted ticket company or to meet in person. A major red flag according to Van Cil is if the seller doesn't want to meet in person.

"Look out for people that don't want to meet in person, if they don't want to talk on the phone or at least meet then it's likely not legitimate," Van Cil said.

Often the buyer is using fake phone numbers made online. Scammers were using 913 and 816 area codes to make them look local in this scam.

According to the Chiefs, fans should use NFL-approved retailers such as NFL Ticket Exchange, StubHub and SeatGeek. Individual tickets for the playoffs will be mobile entry only. No screenshots will be allowed for any playoff game.

Van Cil said these types of scams typically happen with big events around the metro area.

Those purchasing tickets should make sure to be extra cautious of discounts that sound too good to be true.