Ticketmaster is one of the largest ticket sales and distribution companies in the world. If you’ve ever purchased tickets to a concert, sporting event, or other live entertainment show, chances are you went through Ticketmaster. With millions of tickets sold through their website and mobile apps each year, Ticketmaster sends out a lot of email notifications and confirmations to its customers.
But how do you know if an email you received is really from Ticketmaster and not a phishing scam? In this article, we’ll break down what an official Ticketmaster email looks like and provide tips for identifying real emails from fake ones.
Order Confirmation Emails
One of the most common emails Ticketmaster will send is an order confirmation when you purchase event tickets on their website. This is an important email that provides details on your ticket order and how to access your tickets.
Here are some key features of an official Ticketmaster order confirmation email:
- Sent from ticketmaster.com or e.ticketmaster.com
- Has your order number in the subject line
- Addresses you by your first and last name
- Details your ticket order including event name, venue, date, seats, quantity, and price
- Provides link or barcode to access your tickets
- Has Ticketmaster logo and branding
- Includes customer service contact information
For example, the subject line may say “Your Ticketmaster Order #[order number]” and the email would start with “Dear [your name], Thank you for your recent Ticketmaster order.”
It’s important to always look for your specific order details, rather than just generic event information. A real confirmation email will contain the exact seats you purchased, order total, and link to access your tickets.
Ticket Transfer Emails
If you need to transfer tickets you purchased on Ticketmaster to someone else, you’ll receive a ticket transfer confirmation email. This is sent when tickets are successfully transferred from your Ticketmaster account to another person.
Here’s what an official ticket transfer email from Ticketmaster contains:
- Sent from ticketmaster.com or e.ticketmaster.com
- Subject line states “Tickets Successfully Transferred”
- Names the event, venue, and date of the transferred tickets
- Specifies the seats and quantity of tickets transferred
- Names the recipient who the tickets were transferred to
- Provides a link to view your remaining tickets
- Ticketmaster branding and logo
The body of the email will confirm that the ticket transfer was completed successfully. It will include details on exactly which tickets were sent and to whom so you can double check the details.
Special Offer or Promotional Emails
Ticketmaster periodically sends out special offer or promotional emails to customers advertising deals, discounts, presales, and more. These types of emails aim to provide an incentive for you to purchase tickets for upcoming events.
Some common characteristics of legit Ticketmaster promotional emails:
- Sent from ticketmaster.com or contains “Ticketmaster Advertising”
- Has an eyecatching subject line promoting the offer or presale
- Contains event images and bold graphics touting the deal
- Provides a code or link to redeem the offer
- Includes a visible unsubscribe link at the bottom
- Ticketmaster branding is present but may be minimal
These emails can easily be identified as promotions rather than a receipt or transactional notice. The aim is to catch your attention with the Offer and generate ticket sales.
Verify the Sender’s Email Address
The single most important thing to check on any Ticketmaster email is the sender’s email address. Always double check that the “From” email matches an official Ticketmaster domain.
Here are examples of valid Ticketmaster email addresses:
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
- [email protected]
If an email claims to be from Ticketmaster but is coming from an email address you don’t recognize, it could be a fraudulent email. Outlook for suspicious senders pretending to be Ticketmaster but using a Gmail or other non-Ticketmaster domains.
Look for Personalized Information
Official emails from Ticketmaster will address you directly by name and include details specific to your ticket order. Generic emails without personal details or your order numbers can signal an impersonator.
Phishing emails may say something like “Dear Ticketmaster customer” rather than your name and lack any specifics about the event, seats, order total or other personal details.
Watch for Spoofed Hyperlinks
Scam Ticketmaster emails will often include malicious links rather than legitimate Ticketmaster URLs. The links may be disguised to appear like they go to ticketmaster.com, but actually redirect elsewhere.
Hover over any links before clicking to see the actual URL destination. Make sure links match up with official Ticketmaster websites and look for the secure “https” in the web address.
See if There’s an Unsubscribe Option
Most legitimate marketing emails will include a link to “unsubscribe” located at the bottom of the email. Phishing emails typically don’t have an unsubscribe option since their aim is to scam rather than send legitimate promotions.
However, the absence of an unsubscribe link alone doesn’t guarantee an email is fake. Transactional emails may not include an unsubscribe link so also rely on other indicators.
Watch for Spelling Errors
While the occasional typo can happen, consistent spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, and punctuation errors may indicate a phishing email rather than an official communication from Ticketmaster.
Fraudsters often copy and paste text from other sources resulting in odd wording or spelling mistakes a professional company would be unlikely to send.
Confirm with Ticketmaster
If an email looks suspicious, don’t click any links or attachments. Instead, reach out to Ticketmaster directly to confirm.
You can contact Ticketmaster customer service online or by phone to verify the email and check on the status of your ticket order. This provides final confirmation that an email is valid or fake.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication
For improved email and account security, make sure to enable two-factor authentication on your Ticketmaster account. This requires you to enter a unique security code from your mobile device before you can login.
Even if a scammer gets your Ticketmaster login credentials, two-factor authentication acts as an extra layer of protection on your account.
How to Report Suspicious Emails
If you receive any emails claiming to be from Ticketmaster that you think could be fraudulent, report them:
- Forward the email to Ticketmaster at [email protected]
- Forward the email as an attachment to [email protected]
- Report the email to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at [email protected]
The more reports of scam emails pretending to be Ticketmaster, the better chance there is of catching fraudsters and stopping phishing campaigns.
Conclusion
By looking at the sender, content, links, and other email details, you can spot the telltale signs of official Ticketmaster emails versus scams. Always double check the sender’s address, hover over links, look for personalization, and confirm with Ticketmaster if anything seems suspicious.
Enabling two-factor authentication provides an extra layer of security on your Ticketmaster account. Be wary of any emails asking you to enter login credentials or sensitive information. When in doubt, reach out to Ticketmaster support to verify an email before taking any requested actions.
Stay vigilant about scams impersonating popular brands like Ticketmaster. But armed with the right knowledge, you can confidently identify legitimate Ticketmaster emails and enjoy peace of mind when using their services.