Phoenix Suns fan scammed out of $2,500 for Finals tickets

A woman says scammers are preying on hopeful Phoenix Suns fans who want to watch an NBA Finals game in person and are selling fake or non-existent tickets.

PHOENIX - Getting into a Phoenix Suns game is suddenly the hottest ticket in town as they play for a chance to win the NBA Championship title against the Milwaukee Bucks.

But, with the hot ticket comes a chance for crooks to sell fake tickets to hopeful fans.

This is exactly what happened to a fan who says she paid a man for tickets and never actually received the tickets, proving that sometimes when things are too good to be true, it's because they're a scam.

Suns fan Danielle Kamela says a man, who has not been identified, reached out saying he was selling tickets to Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

"I was like, this is the perfect situation. I don't have to deal with Seat Geek or Stub Hub. I can go straight to someone I know. So I purchased these tickets through him. He was going to come out and go to the game with me along with my family," she said.

Kamela sent the scammer $2,500 dollars through Apple Pay for four tickets.

"For four tickets. I was thinking this is a good deal, this is great," she said.

Then, she was enjoying her time at the bars in downtown Phoenix before the game,
waiting for the man to bring her the tickets. When game time rolled around, something just wasn't right.

"He gave me the run around all during the game and leading up to the game. We were trying to meet him at other places, he was outside the arena, he said he was coming. We were like, ‘OK how much longer?’ When game time hit, that was 6, he ghosted me," she said.

She says scammers are preying on the excitement of fans during the Finals.

"These Suns fans who are buying tickets are literally selling their car to go to the game, spending everything they have in their bank accounts, using credit cards because that's what our fans are all about. We have this hashtag trending, ‘Rally the Valley,' and that's what we're all doing as fans," she said, adding, "So I think it's a lot easier to scam people now that we're this far in and this excited and we have so much energy. So I just want to warn people to be careful."