The Duluth Entertainment Convention Center (DECC) has seen an uptick in fraudulent tickets coming though their doors. These fake tickets are sold by scammers often posing as reputable sellers online.

“It’ll either look like a paper ticket, like very close to what was issued, but it won’t scan,” said Lucie Amundsen, communications director at the DECC. “People buy them online, they think they’re getting a good deal or a great package, and it just turns out that it’s not real.”

Amundsen told us that if you’re purchasing tickets to their events online, pay close attention to the URL of the website you’re using.

“If you search for an event at the DECC, our official website might not be the first ticket vendor that comes up,” said Amundsen. “Often these scammers have paid extra money to have great visibility on sites like Google. You might think you’re on a reputable site like Ticketmaster or The DECC.org, but you’re actually on a second- or third-party vendor.”

The most secure way to make sure the ticket you’re purchasing is real is to buy it in person at the AMSOIL Arena’s box office.

You can learn more about the DECC here.