Your team makes the finals. Tickets disappear almost instantly. Then, just when you think you’ve missed out, someone pops up online with two spare seats. 

Perfect timing. Maybe a little too perfect. 

Finals season creates exactly the kind of urgency scammers love. When tickets are scarce and fans are desperate to get through the gates, it’s much easier to rush into a purchase without doing the usual checks. 

And today, a fake ticket offer can look surprisingly convincing. 

Before you pay for that last-minute AFL or NRL ticket, here are five things worth checking. 

1. A professional-looking ticket offer can still be fake

The basic ticket scam hasn’t changed much: someone advertises tickets they don’t have, takes your money and disappears. 

What has changed is how convincing the setup can look. 

Scammers can: 

• Copy genuine team, venue and ticketing logos 

• Use real event photos and match information 

• Create professional-looking websites 

• Set up convincing social media profiles 

• Advertise through legitimate social platforms

So don’t rely on how polished an offer looks. 

The safer approach: Start with the official AFL or NRL website and follow the ticketing links from there. For the 2026 AFL Finals, official tickets are being sold through Ticketek or Ticketmaster depending on the venue. The NRL also directs fans to Ticketek, Ticketmaster and NRL.com for Finals tickets.

2. Don’t treat a screenshot as proof 

A seller sends you a screenshot showing tickets sitting in their account.  It looks reassuring, but it doesn’t prove those tickets will actually get you into the game.

A screenshot can’t tell you whether: 

• The ticket is genuine 

• It has already been sold to someone else 

• The barcode is still valid 

• The seller actually owns the ticket. 
  
  

With digital ticketing, the official transfer process matters. Ticketek advises that mobile and in-app tickets need to be accessed digitally rather than simply printed or screenshotted. Ticketmaster’s official Ticket Transfer system also creates a new barcode for the person receiving the ticket. 

Red flag: If someone refuses to transfer the ticket through the official process, think twice before paying. 

3. Be wary of the sudden “spare ticket”

The closer it gets to a big game, the more ticket offers appear across Facebook groups, Marketplace, community pages and other social platforms. 

Plenty will be genuine. Some won’t. 

Be cautious if a seller: 

• Contacts you unexpectedly 

• Says you need to pay immediately because “someone else is interested” 

• Offers premium seats for a surprisingly low price 

• Wants to move the conversation away from the original platform 

• Insists on an immediate bank transfer 

• Asks you to use an unusual payment method
  
  

Also, don’t assume an account is genuine just because it belongs to someone you recognise. Scammers can take over real social media accounts.

If it appears to be someone you know: Contact them independently before sending any money.

4. The scam could arrive after you’ve bought your ticket

Buying the ticket isn’t necessarily the end of it. In July 2026, Scamwatch warned Australians about fake purchase messages claiming a transaction had been made and asking the recipient to call a number to stop or reverse it. 

Those supposed purchases can include event tickets. 

The message might: 

• Mention a ticket purchase you don’t recognise 

• Claim you have been charged a large amount 

• Tell you to call urgently to cancel the transaction 

• Include your name or other personal details 

• Direct you to a phone number, link or fake support service

Calling the number can put you directly in touch with a scammer who may then try to obtain banking details, passwords or access to your device. 

What to do instead: Open your banking or ticketing app independently and check the transaction there. Don’t use the link or phone number in the message.

5. Don’t automatically trust the first search result 

When tickets are selling quickly, searching “AFL Finals tickets” or “NRL Grand Final tickets” can feel like the easiest option.  But appearing near the top of a search page doesn’t automatically mean a ticket seller is legitimate.

Before buying: 

• Go to the official AFL or NRL website 

• Find the relevant match 

• Check which ticketing provider is authorised 

• Use the link from the official site to purchase
  

Think of it as: AFL or NRL website → match page → authorised ticket seller 

Those few extra seconds can save you from paying hundreds of dollars for a ticket that doesn’t exist.

Your finals-season ticket checklist 

Before you pay, take a moment to check:
 

• Am I being rushed? “Last ticket”, “pay now” and “someone else is waiting” are designed to make you act quickly. 

• Have I checked the seller? Confirm ticketing information through the AFL, NRL, venue or authorised ticketing provider. 

• Will the ticket be transferred properly? A screenshot isn’t the same as having a valid ticket transferred into your own account. 

• Am I paying a stranger directly? Use authorised platforms and secure payment methods wherever possible. 

• Did I receive an unexpected purchase or refund message? Check it independently rather than clicking a link or calling the number provided. 

• Does something just feel off? A strange price, story or payment request is reason enough to stop and check.
   

It follows the same simple advice the National Anti-Scam Centre continues to reinforce: Stop. Check. Protect. 

Not sure if it’s real? Check before you act

Finals tickets can disappear quickly, but that doesn’t mean your usual scam checks should disappear with them. 

If you receive a suspicious ticket offer, message, website or social media ad, Trend Micro ScamCheck can help you check it before handing over your money or information. 

ScamCheck can help analyse: 

• Suspicious messages 

• Websites and links 

• Online ads 

• Potential scam content
   

Because you don’t need to be able to recognise every scam instantly.  Sometimes the most important thing you can do is stop long enough to check.

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