.
Feedback

Update: Local Couple Scores Free Tickets to Super Bowl After Falling Victim to Scam

A local couple duped for $5,900 will receive free tickets after Ticketmaster caught wind of the story Tuesday.

Updated 5:05 p.m.

A Hayward couple that shelled out $5,900 for Super Bowl tickets in an online scam will be going to the big game after all, according to media reports.

Hayward resident Sharon Osgood, a 49er faithful, responded to a Craigslist ad and wired the money to a Baltimore Ravens fan in exchange for what were purported to be four tickets to Sunday’s Super Bowl. Instead, she received a promo flyer for the match with a note that read, “Go Ravens! LOL!,” the Mercury News reports.

Ticketmaster CEO Nathan Hubbard caught wind of the cruel scam after the story went viral Tuesday and contacted Osgood with a generous offer: four tickets for Osgood, her boyfriend and other relatives — plus breakfast with NFL legend Troy Aikman — according to the Mercury News.

Osgood was also contacted by the San Francisco 49ers’ office, who offered her tickets as well. Altogether, the unfortunate-turned-lucky couple netted five tickets, though they’re still out of the $5,900 they lost in the scam. However, Osgood has filed a police report in hopes to recoup the loss and catch the scammer, the newspaper reports.

The scammer told Osgood that he was a tax attorney in Florida and couldn’t make the game due to his wife’s pregnancy. Osgood and her boyfriend exchanged emails, text messages and phone conversations with the man for a week before agreeing to wire the money, according to the newspaper.

Osgood told the Mercury News that her and her crew of 49er faithfuls planned on leaving Tuesday night in their RV for the Super Bowl, which is being held in New Orleans on Sunday.

"I can't believe this is happening. I can't put into words how grateful I am," Osgood, who withheld her name in initial reports, told the newspaper.

Read the full story here.

How much would you pay to see the game live in New Orleans?

Newsletter & Alerts

Get the best stories each day and important breaking news

Subscribe

Not from San Leandro Patch? Find your Local Patch »

Tim January 29, 2013 at 02:32 pm
Fools... I wouldn't want my name used either. How stupid can you be? The cheapest tickets on Stubhub are going for over $2K a piece and they thought they could get four tickets for $5,900? All I can say is, really? If you want to get a deal you have to go there. Just before the game you'll be able to secure tickets for around $1,000 a piece or maybe even less but at this point good luck getting a flight or hotel.
Nick January 29, 2013 at 03:40 pm
For that kind of cash you go to the NFL site and pay a little extra to guarantee yourself a real ticket.
Mona Taplin January 29, 2013 at 04:02 pm
Anyome can fall for scams like this. We are all vulnearble, but hopefully don't lose that much money just to watch a game! Sure I would like to go too, but have too many better uses for the money it costs.
Nick January 29, 2013 at 07:48 pm
Craigslist has certainly generated more than enough negative publicity for itself in terms of theft crimes locally, cell phones, video games, cars, etc. Now this. For one, craiglist has a warning at the bottom in red "do not wire funds." What do they do, they wire funds?????
Tim January 29, 2013 at 08:16 pm
Exactly right. You can't fix STUPID. At least use a credit card through Paypal that way if you're scammed you get the last laugh because you WILL get your money back.
Nick January 29, 2013 at 09:12 pm
Well TicketMaster and the Niners got wind of the story and both groups offered them 4 tickets. They went with TicketMaster, who also offered a meeting with Troy Aikman:
http://www.mercurynews.com/southbayfootball/ci_22474956/theyre-going-super-bowl-49ers-faithful-scammed
Zoneil Maharaj (Editor) January 29, 2013 at 10:07 pm
Thanks Nick! We've updated the post.
kathy franklin January 30, 2013 at 10:14 am
That's awful. Better to get them from a reputable place like Charitybuzz and let the money go to a good cause. These tix include a tailgate and a VIP experience.
http://www.charitybuzz.com/categories/48/catalog_items
YENRAB January 30, 2013 at 04:59 pm
If they can afford $5900 for Superbowl tickets, then they can afford to lose the money. Another example of rewarding stupidity. Isn't this what cause the our recent recession? When will people ever learn??
James Nelson January 30, 2013 at 05:42 pm
Every year around Superbowl Time I fail to see the excitement. Watching a bunch of Closeted Sports Stars run around a green field tackling each other as a disguise to manhandle each others business under the Cloak of a Football Championship Game. Regular Citizens of San Francisco do this without being in uniform or on a Field. Seems like a pretty Elaborate way of hiding their true feelings for each other.
Meanwhile while the Majority of Americans tune into watch guys slapping other guys butts, Museums suffer, Wildlife Suffers, and anything which is Important gets tossed aside until the Fever subsides,. I put Football in the same Category as Wrestling, Useless. Baseball is a Real Sport, Extreme Paintball is a Real Sport, hell if you are a thug living in Oakland, mowing down people with your AK is a Real Sport. But Football? meh.
Tina January 30, 2013 at 06:03 pm
What a sad state of affairs when every comment attacks the victim for being "stupid","too vulnerable" and "able to afford such a luxury. " Why do we accept the behavior of the scammer? This attitude spills over to day to day crime as well. Getting mugged is the victims fault for not being more aware of their surroundings, or for wearing jewelry that criminals like, or talking on cell phones. Its not the criminals fault..... we tempted them and made it too easy. Then when someone fights back they either get killed or sued! What Jason this world come to?
I hope the Osgood group enjoys the game. All they did was trust the wrong people.
Tim January 30, 2013 at 06:23 pm
So in your mind Tina, there's no difference between VOLUNTARILY wiring money to someone versus someone getting mugged walking down the street, property taken against their will? Sorry, Ms. Osgood acted stupidly in voluntarily wiring money to a stranger against warnings from Craigslist explicitly saying NOT to do so. I hope the criminal is caught and prosecuted but I do not feel sorry for people who lack basic common sense and basic reading skills.
Nick January 30, 2013 at 09:10 pm
Authorities have warned people, craigslist has a warning in red....RED, it probalby isn't the first time a craigslist buyer has been scammed. The police have warned people pay attention, if you must talk on the phone, find a safe spot and always look up. "Do not wire funds." In red, she goes ahead and wires funds? Come on. For that amount of cash, wouldn't you heed warnings? Geez, muggings, theft? Police have warned, talk on your phones in a safe area, look up when you talk, pay attention. Since you brought up crime, what about cell phones, there's a new law in place, do not talk on a cell phone while you are driving, what do people do, continue to talk on their phone while driving. You don't heed the warnings from authorities, you will have consequences, running over a cyclist, accidents. There are warnings to HELP you, prevent you from losses.
x January 30, 2013 at 09:26 pm
I posted a screen capture of a similar craigslist ad for tickets. It clearly shows a warning in RED against wiring (sending) money.
So Tina, would you feed the bears when there's a sign that says "Do Not Feed The Bears"? Or, how about where a revealing outfit in a crowd of perverts when you don't want the attention? Where I do totally agree with the problem didn't start with the buyer. It was definitely the seller (criminal) who is at fault here, but when it's clearly posted to not do something because of scammers ... and you do it anyway ... it's your fault.
Mel Coda May 27, 2013 at 12:38 am
If you're looking for the BEST SUPER BOWL HOTELS; DEFINITELY your best bet for 2014 SUPER BOWL, OLYMPICS, FIFA WORLD CUP, NCAA FINAL FOUR, F1, Formula One, Grand Prix races in Austin Texas... Book now at http://www.14sb.com/ and http://superhotelsbowl.com/super_bowl_hotels.html . LUXURY Lodging as well as affordable accommodations for ALL EVENTS. 917-224-1231
Note Article
Just a short thought to get the word out quickly about anything in your neighborhood.
Share something with your neighbors. Write a new post... What's up? Make an announcement, speak your mind, or sell something
Mattie Ignacio June 13, 2013 at 06:02 pm
it was a hundred times better...it is now useless!
Richard Eisenman June 14, 2013 at 11:17 am
I'm not a very regular viewer. Could you be a bit more specific about what changed recently (plusesRead More and minuses)? Thanks.
Opera On Tap Co-Manager, Indre Viskontas
Joanna Dyer June 12, 2013 at 07:16 am
F
Molly Rosen June 14, 2013 at 04:36 pm
One of the best operas ever. I hope to see it. How excited for OOT and San Leandro!
Susan Reisz June 10, 2013 at 07:29 pm
Can you reprint this several times prior to June 27. I don't want people to forget about it? Thanks
Unstable vs. stable world views
Michael Moore June 2, 2013 at 06:02 pm
Leah, do you have the authorization from Disney for the use of the copyrighted Dumbo character youRead More use for your blog? I thought that the policy of Patch was to deny access to non-authorized materials such as this.
Leah Hall June 2, 2013 at 08:12 pm
Nope.
Leah Hall June 2, 2013 at 09:44 pm
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a7/Dumbo-1941-poster.jpg My 13 year old daughter justRead More explained how to search www.creativecommons.org.