Wisconsin officials; Scams on rise in May 2025, what you can do
Wisconsin officials; Scams on rise in May 2025
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is warning consumers to not overpay for concert tickets this summer by using only official ticket sellers.
MILWAUKEE - We're living in the golden age of scams. Americans lost a record $12.5 billion to scams in 2024, according to the FTC.
Consumers can protect themselves by knowing the signs of a scheme. DATCP has the following warnings for Wisconsin consumers in May.
Overpaying on tickets
What we know:
The city of Festivals is about to come alive for the summer. To get the best ticket prices, consumers should start at the venue's website.
Michelle Reinen, administrator of the Division of Trade and Consumer Protection, says people are less likely to get scammed using the event's official ticket seller.
"Go to the source of the event that you want to attend. Find out who their ticket seller is," said Reinen.
If a show is canceled, the ticketholder is entitled to a refund. If it's rescheduled, they can ask for their money back.
"That has to happen within 30 days of the original event date," said Reinen. "Then, the promoter needs to provide those refunds within 60 days of a consumer having made that contact."
Door-to-door charity scam
What we know:
At least one Wisconsin family has fallen victim to a door-to-door scam seeking donations for a fake charity.
Reinen says the family agreed to donate $40 to the organization. The scammer scanned their credit card with a phone and withdrew $4,000 instead. By the time the family realized the deception, they couldn't track down the scammer.
"The scammer was long gone because it was much later in the day," said Reinen.
Michelle Reinen
Reinen says do your own research before donating to a charity at give.org or charitynavigator.org.
"To be sure you understand their history and how that money is used," said Reinen.
Scams targeting military
What we know:
DATCP says that scammers love to target service members, especially when they leave active duty.
"People try and take advantage of that by creating confusion," said Reinen.
The scammers may offer to help the veteran get military records, obtain benefits or land a special loan. They ask for an upfront fee.
"Usually, it's something that the veteran can do on their own," said Reinen.
For assistance, veterans can go to veteran service organizations like the American Legion, instead.
Report a scam
What you can do:
If you've experienced one of these scams, let the state know by filing out a form.
File a consumer complaint or notify Contact 6.
The Source: Information for this report comes from DATCP and the FTC.