Bogus Texans-Cowboys tickets being sold

HOUSTON TicketMaster lists the Texans vs. Cowboys game as the most popular matchup and the most sought after ticket in the league this weekend. Police say that is fertile ground from those selling bogus tickets.

We're protecting the victim's identity because she's worried the man who ripped her off could come after her.

Anything involving the Texans and Cowboys is a battle -- not just on the field, but also for tickets.

When Tammy decided on Friday morning to get her father an early Christmas gift, she went on Craigslist and before lunch she had tickets in hand.

"Guess I looked in the wrong spot," she said.

She paid $250 for each ticket in cash.

"I didn't have any concerns until we came home and she said there was just something in the newspaper," Tammy said.

A relative suggested she verify they were legit, so her father called the Houston Texans after they bought them only to find that the event numbers on the tickets don't match those for the game. The Texans told her the tickets are bogus.

"Just frustrated that somebody takes advantage of somebody else," Tammy said.

Tammy says the man had offered to sell additional tickets if they knew anyone buying if they wanted the tickets before 7pm Friday. So they called Houston police hoping they would use that to set up a sting and get Tammy her money back. But HPD says a lack of manpower prevented them from doing anything Friday.

"I cannot believe that if we have a chance on catching this guy today that ya'll can't help us," said Tammy's mother, Cindy.

A spokesperson for the Houston Texans says "purchasing tickets from other sources, such as Craigslist or eBay, is done at the buyer's own risk."

Houston police say they intend to work this case on Saturday. But the victims say it may be too late by then. They fear the suspect and their money will be long gone.

"That's their hard-earned money," Tammy said. "To have it just wiped away; you have nothing to show, it could happen to anybody."

Experts say to avoid purchasing counterfeit tickets you can consider buying only from the Houston Texans, TicketMaster or the NFL ticket exchange. They say you should always scrutinize the tickets and look for inaccuracies or alterations. Also, they suggest you never buy an e-ticket off the street. You run the risk that it is a counterfeit or duplicate.