We do our best to get the word out about local shows and concerts, which is why I feel obligated to also get the word out about Facebook ticket scams. I am literally begging you not to fall for them in hopes that they will eventually go away forever.

How It Works

When something gets posted on Facebook about a show or concert, especially if the word "tickets" gets mentioned, you'll notice that pretty quickly there will be someone in the comments who has tickets but needs to sell them because they can no longer attend the show. Sometimes it's because of a family emergency.

This is almost always a bot, that is, a fake profile coded to find posts about concerts, and lay these traps in the comments. Don't fall for it!! Unless you know the seller personally, always assume it's a scam.

Many have fallen for it by DMing the account and sending the person money through Cashapp, Venmo, or another similar service. They never get the tickets and your money is probably in another country altogether.

You'll probably notice that the other person's conversation is a little off- if it seems like they don't quite understand nuance or send nonsensical emojis that's another sign it's not legit.

Here's an informative and interesting deeper explanation of how they work:

How Are There So Many Bots Out There?

Good Question. They are relentless and it seems that Facebook lacks either the technological prowess or manpower to keep them under control. It probably boils down to the fact that they are cheap and easy to create and that they actually make enough money to be worth the effort.

Dead Internet Theory

Are you ready to make it weird? There is a "conspiracy theory" called the Dead Internet Theory that sounds... mostly just straight-up true.

The dead Internet theory is an online conspiracy theory that asserts that the Internet now consists mainly of bot activity and automatically generated content manipulated by algorithmic curation, minimizing organic human activity to manipulate the population.

It's up to us to put up a resistance to the Borg, I mean, to spam bots like these. Lubbock, buy your tickets through the appropriate outlets. Most club shows are available at Ralphs Records. United Supermarkets Arena shows are almost always Select-A-Seat and for Buddy Holly Hall, just go to buddyhollyhall.com. If something feels fishy AT ALL, don't be tempted by a "deal" or by wanting to "help" someone out.