Oakland

Warriors Warning Fans of Counterfeit Tickets as Playoffs Return to Oracle Arena

Team officials are also warning fans to be cautious of the barcode on tickets, which has become counterfeiters' most prized possession.

The Golden State Warriors are warning fans to be wary of third-party sellers and mindful of their own tickets as the playoffs tip off in the Bay Area.

Team officials are also warning fans to be cautious of the barcode on tickets, which has become counterfeiters' most prized possession.

"I would not recommend buying it on Craigslist, but if you did, do not buy it if it shows the barcode," said Brandon Schneider, business development senior vice president for the Warriors.

Each ticket to get inside Oracle Arena in Oakland has a unique barcode that will allow only one entry. Counterfeiters are able to copy a ticket's barcode and gain access to the game, which would leave the ticket holder out of luck.

During Wednesday night's historic game at Oracle Arena, 60 fans with barcodes that had been copied were turned away to the sold-out game. One scammer used a ticket with a copy of a barcode that had been shown on TV.

"I'm always concerned if I buy a ticket on Craigslist," fan Noach Ploch-Jones said. "That's why I try to buy it from the box office."

During last year's 11-game playoff run, 450 fake tickets showed up at Warriors games in Oakland. Nearly all of the fake tickets held by fans were purchased from third-party sources.

Warriors officials said they had no way to help those who were scammed.

"Every single ticket was gone, so when people came up with the fraudulent tickets, we didn't even have a ticket to give them because every seat was sold," Schneider said.

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