Mom, teens scammed out of $1,500 for Chiefs-Bills AFC Championship tickets

    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) -- A Dallas-area mother of two will miss Sunday night’s AFC Championship Game at Arrowhead Stadium after falling victim to an online ticket scam.

Kerstin Yates thought she was buying tickets from a trusted season ticket holder through a Facebook group.

The group appeared legitimate, with several years of activity, thousands of members, and even some of her friends among them. However, it turned out to be a scam.

Yates paid $1,500 via Venmo and was promptly blocked from the group.

In addition to losing the money, she had to cancel flights for herself and her children, ages 13 and 16, who had been excited to attend the game.

“What they say is that these are actual Chiefs fans selling tickets,” Yates said. “So, you're not getting scammed, which probably should be the first red flag.”

Burton Kelso, a local tech expert, advises fans to buy tickets only from official and verified sources. He warns that scammers often target people of all ages, frequently requesting payment through digital cash apps like Venmo.

“When it comes to social media, you really can’t trust what you see on social media,” Kelso said.

He recommends meeting sellers in person at a safe, public location when buying secondhand tickets.

The Yates family will now watch the game from home, and Kerstin hopes her story will prevent others from becoming victims.

“My kids are not very happy. I have a 13- and 16-year-old who were very excited for this game,” Yates said. “These are not safe sites to go to, and they will absolutely steal your money.”