Beware Craigslist ticket brokers and elixir salesmen
So, yeah, I got scammed on Sugar Bowl tickets this week. Its my own fault. I should have known better. I’d like to think that Im a pretty cautious person when it comes to online transactions. Ive never sent money to Africa in order to claim untold abandoned fortunes, I’ve fought the urge to respond to emails promising 20 pounds of immediate weight loss or 3 inches of penile enhancement, I’ve even refrained from clicking on those links that swear up and down that someone is searching for me and I really need to find out who. Thats self control, people.
But I apparently abandoned all of those basic rules of safe internetting when it came to trying to acquire tickets for the Sugar Bowl. I initially checked StubHub and ticket exchange sites like it, only to discover that prices were double and triple face value even for the most modest and nose bleed inducing of seats. I made a few calls to folks I thought might have an in on some extra tickets, but no luck, so I turned to my last bastion of hope, the wild west of internet transactions where at the very least you could get scammed out of your money, and at the worst, you’ll…well, this….Craigslist.
I searched Fayetteville and Little Rock to find some reasonably priced tickets from somebody who either wasn’t going to be able to make the game, I looked in Baton Rouge and Lafayette to see if there were some LSU fans who had anticipated a Sugar Bowl trip for the Tigers and were now just looking to make a clean break of things, but still not much success. I finally checked New Orleans, found a few promising posts and sent out a few inquiries…but then I ran across this posting (this is from Dec 21, so he’s trying to run the same scam again)…
4 tickets side by side for the Sugar Bowl next month
$100 per ticket
I have the tickets in hand
Would like to sell today or tomorrow
Email if interested
So I sent the guy an email last weekend and then sort of forgot about it as I was headed to Colorado for a week.
Then last Monday I get an email from the guy, his name is Jim Davis, but it probably isnt. He wanted to know if I was still interested. He told me he was a Florida fan and had bought these tickets during the season, but since his Gators weren’t going to be in the game, he just wanted to get rid of him. We exchanged a few more emails, me wanting to verify where the tickets were (yes, I had him send me pictures of the tickets) and how he wanted to conduct the transaction. He even called me a few times, however, my phone never rang and his calls always went to voicemail (should have been my first red flag), where he left me nice enough and no shady at all voicemails letting me know that he would send the tickets via Fed Ex and provide me with a tracking number, once I made payment.
Here’s where I should have shut the whole thing down. He wanted to use Western Union. Nobody but escaped criminals, drug dealers, and little old ladies use Western Union anymore. I thought it pretty odd, but went along with it, because hey, this was a great deal on 4 tickets! I found the Western Union in Breckenridge, Co during a driving snowstorm. Arranged for payment to be made to a Cocoa Beach, Fl Western Union where Jimbo could pick up his money. He even sent me a confirmation email that he had recieved the money and would be mailing the tickets in the morning. Nice guy, right?
I havent heard from him since and I have no tickets to show for my shoddy due diligence.
I’ve been kicking myself all week. I partially blame the vacation and the high altitude. I wasn’t in my right mind…but still I should have known better. I tell you all this so that you may not only ridicule me justly…hell, I deserve it…but also to warn you of this guy’s scam. He’s still out there on Craigslist trying to work this thing, so, at the very least, be aware of it. Here is all of the information the guy sent me:
James King
jim.king.1955@gmail.com
2020 N Atlantic Ave, Apt 412-S
Cocoa Beach, fl 32931
321-292-1855
I’ve done a little investigating, the address is real, so if you read this and live near him, go over there right now and punch him square in his face for me, Ill owe you a beer. If you are also so inclined, thats a legit cell number using Verizon as it’s carrier. If anyone reading works for Verizon and doesn’t mind bending company policy, I’d appreciate you finding out who actually owns this phone (email me at bunkie@friendsoftheprogram.net). You can also leave him voicemails letting him know where he may stick his phony tickets, I’d appreciate that as well. Third, why dont you email the guy and let him know what a bag of dicks he is…and while you are at it, sign him up for some good ol’ fashioned man on man porn email lists. Im sure he’ll like getting those as well. Do your worst, for my sake, at least.
So yeah, here I am, fully scammed out of a couple hundred bucks and still no tickets. If you’ve got some extras, shoot me an email or hit me up on Twitter…and save me your “Youre such a dumbass”comments…Im well aware of the mental aptitude of my ass at this point.
22 responses so far ↓
1 Juco All-American // Dec 23, 2010 at 9:41 am
You’re such a dumbass.
#originality
2 Rebels7 // Dec 23, 2010 at 9:42 am
I’m a team player, Bunkie. He now has a “You’re a bag o’ dicks” e-mail in his inbox.
3 Jimmy King // Dec 23, 2010 at 9:59 am
Hate that for you, Brah. Consider it payback for your Rebs making Tebow cry. YAOM.
4 Bobmac // Dec 23, 2010 at 10:16 am
I should have been consulted before this.
5 Johnny Hammersticks // Dec 23, 2010 at 10:17 am
Jim Davis = Cecil Newton
6 James King // Dec 23, 2010 at 11:31 am
Give me a shout if anybody needs tickets to the Sugar Bowl. I have 4 tickets side by side; $100 per ticket. I would like to sell today or tomorrow. Email if interested at jim.king.1955@gmail.com
7 Johnny Hammersticks // Dec 23, 2010 at 12:06 pm
i meant to write James King not Jim Davis. Now I look like an illiterate jackass.
I quit.
8 Martina Dotson // Dec 24, 2010 at 12:30 am
You’re such a dumbass. #originality
9 Graig F. // Dec 24, 2010 at 12:37 am
I am in the same boat as you, I fell for a ticketfor a scam for Phish New Years Eve tickets…Jim King claimed to be a big Phish fan who couldn’t make the shows because he had two young children. He requested that I send the money Western Union, I knew better, but was desperate for tickets so I tried to think positively. He requested that I take pictures of the Western Union receipt to verify payment before he sent out the tickets. He claimed that he missed the drop off at Fed Ex for shipment that day, and that he sent them out next day UPS but that they didn’t pick up until 6 pm the next day and that I wouldn’t be able to track the package with the tracking number he gave me until that time..which obviously was a scam to get me to not check until then so he would have time to cash out. I reported him to the Cocoa Beach police and will not stop until he’s caught.
10 Christmas Eve Dump: Don’t Fall For Sugar Bowl Ticket Scam, Mark May Calls Big Ten The Sacred Cow, Miss. State Basketballers Brawl, Paris Hilton Vacations In Hawaii, Rex Ryan Is Foot Licker & NSFW Giant Implant Christmas Boobies! « Busted C // Dec 24, 2010 at 7:27 am
[...] …we get Christmas Eve morning with a warning to anyone looking for Sugar Bowl tickets on Craigslist. Our bros at Friends of the Program were taken by some dude running a ticket scam out of Cocoa Beach, Florida. And for God’s sake, never do transactions via Western Union [Friends of the Program] [...]
11 ParadigmShift35 // Dec 25, 2010 at 10:37 am
I will be going over there today to investigate.
12 sam // Dec 27, 2010 at 10:49 am
Just got an email from jim.king.1955@gmail.com about Winter Classic tickets. I ran a search on google and this is what came up for the address. I told him to go fuck himself.
13 Zack Watts // Dec 28, 2010 at 2:22 pm
Well,, He’s at it again!! Thank god for this site or I would have been out $460!!
Just received this:
Hello
Hope your holiday went well and not too stressful!
We live in Cocoa Beach, FL and are looking to sell these. Not being
local makes it a pain in the rear, so I thought not try craigslist. Anyway
we can’t make it due to work commitments that conflict now so I am looking to
sell these rather quickly. I’m asking what I paid, no more, no less. I got
these through work so not a bad deal.
If you would like to buy these I would like to use western union, its fast,
easy, and secure as long as we exchange enough info so we know who each other
are, and you send to me here in the US, not some foreign country, and I do
insist on talking on the phone as well. Obviously you would get all my info,
and vice-a-versa. I’m just a fan trying to do this quick and easy, nothing
more.
Anyway, if your interested let me know and shoot me your cell # and Ill call
to touch base and go over any details or questions. You can of course email me
any questions you have as well.
Look forward to talking
Jim
Then This:
Hey
Just tried to call you a few minutes ago, my cell # is 321-292-1855, however I am at work and stepped out to call you, so if you try and call back just leave a VM and I’ll call back, my phones on silent in the office…
Let me know if you still want these, and if so go ahead and send me your info, and I’ll shoot over my info, and we can get the ball rolling. I am looking to lock this down today.
Let me know either way!
Thanks
Jim
After this email,, I decided to do a search!!
14 Zack Watts // Dec 28, 2010 at 3:18 pm
Here’s his SCAM Cotton Bowl add from Craigslist!
4 tickets side by side for the 2011 Cotton Bowl @ Cowboys Stadium on January 7th, 2011. Selling all 4 together, in hand & ready now, email if you have any questions or interest. Happy Holidays
15 Zack Watts // Dec 28, 2010 at 4:10 pm
If anyone is so inclined: Below is the govt website for reporting Internet scams!!
http://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx
16 nancy // Dec 29, 2010 at 2:51 pm
Thank you for posting. I almost got scammed by Jim King for Winter Classic Tickets. I didn’t feel right about it, and then googled ticket scams and I found your post. I’m sorry you got scammed but you saved me a lot of $$.
17 Sue // Dec 29, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Thanks Bunkie!!
I was just about to buy 4 tickets to Cotten
Bowl. You saved me $480.00.
I wish there was a way to report this….
18 Friends of the Program - Stubhub Pulls All BCS Championship Game Tickets // Jan 6, 2011 at 8:20 am
[...] to the BCS National Championship Game. So no more tickets are available. We’re sure that James King in Cocoa Beach has some tickets available if you still need any…that is unless Bunkie [...]
19 Jking // Apr 19, 2011 at 9:05 pm
Got scammed by what sounds like the same guy. He went by the name of Kevin Edwards in Marianna, Florida. This was for Masters tickets. When they didn’t show up, the guy even emailed to apologize and refund my money. Of course, the money never came, either.
20 Dawg // Apr 29, 2011 at 10:42 am
Got scammed by Kevin Edwards in Marianna, Florida (Masters tickets). Same story!! Reported him to the police, but I am still out $$. He must have the same story for everyone – fedex with tickets was shipped to himself instead of me and he’s refunding the money…yeah right. I learned my lesson!!!
21 hegotme // Apr 29, 2011 at 11:48 am
Kevin Edwards in Marianna, Florida got me too for Masters tickets – same exact thing. Apologized and said he sent fedex with tickets to him instead of me – yeah right! This guy is making some good money! I think he is using his real name because he has two counts of check fraud at the same address – file a report! I did!
22 Golf Fan // Apr 29, 2011 at 11:57 am
He is also going by Kevin Edwards. I found your site a little too late. I called the phone number you have and it is the same voice in the voicemail for:
Kevin Edwards
5861 Rocky Creek Rd
Marianna, FL 32448
850-557-2064
edwards.kevin.1966@gmail.com
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