If you have tickets to Sunday’s Colts vs. Patriots AFC Championship game, the Pats have a warning for you: they may be fake. New England Patriots fans are scooping tickets up in sets of four for $900, only to find out they will not be valid for entry into Gillette Stadium on January 18.
The Eagle Tribune reports that fans have been buying counterfeit AFC Championship tickets from a group of men who posted the tickets for sale on Craigslist this week. The fake Patriots tickets were sold right outside of Boston, Massachusetts, in Saugus, Billerica, and Sommerville.
One Patriots fan met with the counterfeit ticket sellers at a Holiday Inn outside of Boston and forked over $900 for a set of four tickets. After taking a closer look at his tickets, he realized they were fake and called the police. TMZ reports that police quickly put a stop to the fake ticket madness — three men from New York who made thousands selling fake AFC Championship tickets on Craigslist were arrested near Boston on Friday.
When police busted the fake ticket trio, they found thousands of dollars in cash and more counterfeit tickets. It’s certain that the men will not be watching the Colts vs. Patriots game on Sunday — they are being held on bail at the Billerica House of Correction, charged with larceny and attempting to commit a crime. Billerica police state that the three men are identified as Jatquan Hyman, Jarrell Inge, and Jose Lopez.
The New England Patriots issued a warning to fans who are buying tickets from non-authorized sources, stating the only tickets that are going to be valid at the gate on Sunday are those sold through Ticketmaster or at the ticket office at Gillette Stadium. WEEI reports that tickets went on sale on Tuesday and sold out the same day.
“We are cautioning fans in the greater Boston area to beware of secondary market purchases of Patriots tickets for this weekend’s game. The only verified sellers of Patriots tickets are the Patriots Ticket Office and Ticketmaster.”
The Indianapolis Colts will play the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on Sunday starting at 6:40 p.m. ET. If you bought fake Pats tickets on Craigslist, you’ll have to settle for watching the AFC Championship game on TV or online. According to a previous report from the Inquisitr , the game will be broadcast live on CBS, with several live stream and mobile app options available.
[Images: FOX Sports, Billerica Police]
