Want to go to the sold-out Sugar Bowl? Some sweet ticket deals may be scams.

“It’s become a big business for them,” said Noula Zaharis, the Office of Georgia Secretary of State’s assistant commissioner of securities. “So we’re seeing more and more scams.”

One of those accused scammers is an Alpharetta man arraigned this month on federal wire fraud charges after authorities said he swindled fans by promising UGA tickets that he never delivered. Two dozen people allegedly paid 43-year-old Matthew Neet nearly $1 million for fake investment opportunities and football tickets, money he then used for his own purposes, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Neet typically advertised the tickets — for Georgia football games against Alabama, Texas and Mississippi, and for other events — through emails and other online avenues, officials said.

Investigators have said he also sold fake tickets to a Taylor Swift concert and the Masters golf tournament.

The Jones County Sheriff’s Office arrested him in November 2024. An investigator said he received reports of scams dating to 2013, and Neet allegedly started selling bogus football tickets to all UGA home and away games in August 2023.

Neet’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

The FBI’s Atlanta office is investigating the case, which serves as a timely warning.

“As the popularity of college football continues to grow, we urge fans and investors alike to be vigilant and verify the legitimacy of any offers they receive, particularly when large sums of money are at stake,” Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown said in a statement.

So what should people look for?

Zaharis said ticket scammers normally advertise on sites such as Facebook and Craigslist. Once they have your attention, they want to move fast. Be especially wary of posts that promote a limited offer with only a few tickets left at discounted prices.

“What they’re trying to do is to get you not to stop and ask questions, check to see if you can get a better deal somewhere else, or even if the deal is legitimate,” Zaharis said.

For people looking to buy cheap tickets or resell them to make quick cash, the offers from individual sellers can seem like a great deal. But that often means the price is too good to be true.

Scammers might ask you to wire the money or pay via Venmo, before taking down their account once they get your funds.

There’s a simple solution to prevent scammers from getting the upper hand: Go through the right channels.

Purchase tickets through Ticketmaster and other similar guaranteed platforms to “best ensure the validity of tickets,” said John Sudsbury, a spokesperson for the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Sites such as Ticketmaster and Vivid Seats now require you to download their app to view tickets. To enhance security, some apps use a moving bar code to prevent anyone from taking a screenshot and trying to sell a counterfeit version.

Fans can shield themselves by using digital ticket transfers and protected forms of payment instead of cash, Peach Bowl spokesperson Matt Garvey said.

“And, of course, avoid any off-platform transactions, specifically street scalpers,” he said.

Ticketmaster urges fans to be cautious when buying through individual sellers, social media, auction sites and third-party online exchanges. Double check the URL to ensure an online retail site is official, and don’t purchase resale tickets before an event sale has started, as “these ‘speculative tickets’ may not be real, leaving fans disappointed,” the company said in a recent news release.

“Don’t react, don’t act urgently. There’s no reason why you should rush to go pull your money out to give it to someone without doing due diligence,” Zaharis added.