Police are still looking for a man who tricked fans into buying fake Cowboys Playoffs tickets. NBC 5’s Samantha Chatman has obtained new video from police that could bring them one step closer to catching the suspect.
Police believe the man shown in new surveillance video is the same man in a Snapchat video who allegedly sold fake Cowboys tickets in exchange for cash.
"Judging by the clothing he was wearing and at some point he takes his hat off so we can see a clearer picture of who he is," said Officer James McClellan with the Irving Police Department. "It's a pretty good piece of video."
After leaving the bar, police said he met his customer outside the restaurant to complete the transaction.
When that consumer got to AT&T Stadium for the Cowboys vs. Seahawks playoffs game, the customer was denied entry because the tickets were fake.
"In addition to that, there were two additional victims that we're aware of from the suspect in other cities," said McLellan.
Police said this type of scheme is not uncommon and it's not exclusive to Cowboys fans.
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"It happens at the Mavericks games, the Rangers games, the Stars games, it just continues to happen," McLellan said.
He said ticket scammers will usually create a fake profile on sites like OfferUp.
They'll typically purchase a burner cellphone that's hard to trace and easy to disconnect.
But rarely do police get pieces of video like this of the alleged ticket scammer.
"You've got the general public that are being ripped off and losing money to this. You've got an organization such as the Dallas Cowboys whose trademark images are being counterfeited," he said.
That's why Irving police are asking the public to take a close look at this suspect.
"The video that we've captured is good enough video that if there's somebody who knows who that is, they can call us with that information," said McClellan.
The person or people responsible could face theft, forgery or even copywrite infringement charges.
If you have any information on this ticket scheme, you're asked to contact the Irving Police Department at 972-273-1010.
OfferUp released this statement to NBC 5.
"We're so sorry to hear about Mr. Davila and Ms. Rogers recent experience. OfferUp's number one priority is to provide a trusted and secure experience, and the sale of counterfeit items is very much forbidden. When engaging on any item in our marketplace, we encourage people to take advantage of our user ratings, verified ID program TruYou, and to transact at well-lit and monitored Community MeetUp Spots which we've set up in partnership with local police departments across the country. That said, in this specific case, and when purchasing event tickets, we recommend meeting the seller at the ticket office where the tickets can be confirmed in real time before making the purchase - this ensures complete authenticity."
A few other tips:
• Check the venue's ticket policies. For example, some events only accept e-tickets or don't allow the transfer of tickets at all
• Inspect the tickets. Some events have tickets with holograms or other features that are difficult to replicate. Check both the front and the back of the tickets
• Be skeptical of prices that seem too good to be true, especially for events that are sold out or in high demand""Please report suspicious or offensive user behavior and any items that violate our posting rules. Reports are kept anonymous and our dedicated investigations team removes offending posts."
