Fans attending football games at Ole Miss are being reminded to check their tickets carefully and to keep an eye on personal property to protect themselves from fraud and theft.
Keith Davis, a captain with the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit, recommends fans purchase tickets only from the university ticket office or a reputable company, not from an unknown individual or ticket scalper.
Two people were arrested last Saturday for ticket scalping and one for selling counterfeit tickets, Davis said. A joint undercover operation that also included the Oxford Police Department and University Police Department yielded the arrests for illegal ticket sales. One of the men arrested is from Memphis, one is from Jackson and the other is from Atlanta. Their bond was not set until kickoff to prevent these activities from continuing.
The counterfeit tickets looked virtually identical to real tickets with only slight differences, Davis said. On a real ticket, the edges will be perforated because they are removed from a sheet of tickets. The discovered counterfeit tickets had smooth edges and were not as thick as the originals.
Another difference was the coloring on the back of the ticket. The real tickets have gray print, whereas the fake ticket had more of a green tint to the ink, Davis said.
“The overall risk for getting robbed, let alone ripped off, is extremely high because most of these people have an extensive criminal background,” Davis said. “It’s a lot of risk not worth the reward.”
Davis said officials will continue scalping operations throughout the rest of the season.
University Police also arrested Demartine Ezell, 57, on a charge of robbery of a woman’s wallet. UPD Detective Jane Tutor said three other reports of wallet theft inside the stadium were received plus one in the Grove and one in the Circle that police believe were committed by multiple people.
Tutor encouraged anyone carrying a purse or bag to keep it in hand at all times. Also, never leave belongings unattended and keep valuables in the front pocket of clothing rather in the back pants pocket.
“If you notice something missing, report it immediately,” Tutor said.
Police officers and security guards are in place throughout the stadium to deal with issues directly. Anyone who witnesses a theft or has information involving a crime should contact UPD at 662-915-7234.
Fans who have doubts or questions about a ticket should call the Athletics Ticket Office at 662-915-7167 to verify the barcode before gameday, or visit the ticket office the day of the game.
