Purdue police investigating reports of fraud related to purchasing football tickets

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue University Police Department is investigating several reports of fraud related to purchasing of Purdue football tickets.  

According to police, fraudulent tickets are posted on the mobile group messaging app GroupMe. The person trying to sell the tickets poses as a student and during a verification process asks the potential purchaser for a photo of themselves and a photo of their student ID card. The fraudulent seller then uses photos of the previous victim to send to the next potential victim, claiming to be the Purdue student in photos as the one selling tickets.

Police say payment transactions then take place through online platforms, including Venmo or Apple Pay.

“We advise the campus community to avoid engaging in online transactions like these with individuals they do not know,” PUPD Chief Lesley Wiete said. “If a member of the campus community is approached in a group chat regarding tickets, they should not attempt to purchase the tickets. Also, they should save the information, such as usernames and phone numbers, and report the suspicious activity to our department.”

To report fraud related to football tickets, please contact PUPD at 765-494-8221. Police recommend purchasing tickets through SeatGeek, the official secondary ticketing partner of Purdue Athletics.