MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (May 7, 2025) – Thousands of people are looking forward to attending this year’s sold-out 2025 Carolina Country Music Fest (CCMF). As usual, scammers are taking advantage of the building excitement surrounding the 2025 Carolina Country Music Festival. This time, they are cashing in with phony tickets. Better Business Bureau serving Eastern Carolinas (BBB) urges consumers to keep these tips in mind when buying from ticket resellers.
How the 2025 Carolina Country Music Festival resale scam works
Understanding the common scams associated with the 2025 Carolina Country Music Festival can help you avoid falling prey to fraud.
Many fans of the 2025 Carolina Country Music Festival are unaware of the tactics scammers use to deceive them.
Con artists pose as resellers, and it’s hard to tell if a ticket is fake. BBB receives around 150 reports a year about ticket scams related to sporting events, concerts, and more. Several reports on BBB’s Scam Tracker mention issues with buying resale tickets from people on Facebook Marketplace or groups on Facebook. Several consumers report being asked to pay for the tickets via digital wallet app, not receiving the tickets, and being unable to get a refund. Scammers are skilled at providing realistic tickets and fake receipts.
Keep your eyes peeled for scam alerts specifically related to the 2025 Carolina Country Music Festival.
A consumer in BBB of Eastern Carolina’s service area reported buying tickets for $300 for a concert: “Went through a Craigslist ad for concert tickets, was on the phone with the person the whole time (heard dogs in the background, sounded legitimate), transferred a portion of the money while on the phone and they were supposed to transfer the concert tickets to my Ticketmaster account. After receiving the Venmo transfer, the call dropped immediately and I couldn’t call the phone number back from my cell phone.”
Remember, if the price of the tickets are much lower than elsewhere, it’s likely a scam.
Tips for finding resale tickets
Be sure to research reputable sources when looking for resale tickets for the 2025 Carolina Country Music Fes.
- Buying from a reseller selling primary tickets adds a layer of protection. Use established companies, because they will invalidate the original ticket and create a new barcode for you. This means you are the only one in possession of the resale ticket.
- Review the policies before making a purchase. You should only buy tickets from a ticket reseller that provides clear details about the transaction term. For example, the terms should include information about who is responsible for giving the wristbands to the new recipient.
- Pay with a credit card. You can dispute the charges if the business doesn’t come through. Be wary of online sellers that don’t accept credit cards.
- Look for secure sites. The website should begin with HTTPS (the extra “s” is for security) and have a lock symbol on the address bar.
- Be wary of tickets sold on classified websites, social media platforms, and other free online listings. Scammers are skilled at providing realistic tickets and fake receipts. Check out third-party ticket sites at BBB.org before making purchases.
Read more tips about buying tickets. To stay safe while purchasing event tickets, read this BBB Scam Alert about fake events.
Read more about online purchase scams on BBB.org to protect yourself from fake online products and sellers.
If you encounter a resale ticket scam, report your experience to BBB.org/ScamTracker.
Stay informed about online purchase scams, especially those targeting attendees of the 2025 Carolina Country Music Festival.
If you have experienced any scams related to the 2025 Carolina Country Music Festival, make sure to report them to the BBB.
Local News Via - MyrtleBeachSC.com
