How to Avoid Buying Counterfeit Broadway Theater Tickets

Broadway is having a serious moment right now: Perennial faves like The Lion King at the Minskoff Theatre, Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre, or Hamilton at the Richard Rodgers Theatre, and oh-so-hot newcomers like Sweeney Todd at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre are bringing out theatergoers in droves.

As the demand for tickets increases, so do counterfeit scams targeting fans. It’s easy to fall prey to these schemes — but even easier to avoid buying counterfeit tickets if you know what to watch out for. To make sure your Broadway experience is fraud-free, we’ve put together a few simple tips you can follow to ensure you get in to your show without any trouble.

Tips for Buying Broadway Theater Tickets

Buy tickets from trusted sources—don’t buy anything that seems shady.

Get tickets at the theater box office or from Ticketmaster. There’s no easy way to spot fake Broadway theater tickets. That’s why where you buy matters – it can make the difference between sitting the show out or giving a standing ovation.

Don’t buy from unofficial sites.

Ticket fraud is real, and there’s real risk whenever you buy from people you found online, or other ticket resale sites that don’t seem legit.

Never buy tickets from scalpers on the street or near the venue.

There’s no way to know what you’re getting from scalpers – you could end up with tickets that are fake or stolen.

Buy tickets to “sold-out” shows safely.

Do resale right and shop Ticketmaster to get Ticketmaster Verified Tickets from other fans who can’t make it. Not all Broadway resale tickets are equal: only Ticketmaster Verified Tickets come with the guarantee that the seat you buy is the seat you get.

Be extra careful around hugely popular, frequently sold-out productions like Hamilton.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Pulitzer Prize-winning production about the life and death of Alexander Hamilton has shattered the record for most Tony Award nominations and received an invitation to the White House from President Obama, so it’s no surprise people are lining up at the Richard Rogers Theatre to experience it for themselves. The bad news: fake theater tickets are more common for popular shows like this. The good news: you can catch a “sold-out” show with zero problems when you score resale tickets from Ticketmaster.

PS – Don’t post pics of your tix online before the event happens. People can use pictures of your tickets to make fakes, so be careful when showing off about scoring great seats. #CoverTheCode

Congrats! You’re an expert on buying tickets safely and avoiding counterfeits. Now you can focus on what really matters: having an awesome time at the show.