Man Accused Of Selling Fake Stanley Cup Tickets

The RBC Center parking lot on Stanley Cup game days is apparently prime real estate for scam artists trying to score a quick buck.

"They're predators, looking for opportunity," said Raleigh Police spokesman Jim Sughrue.

Raleigh police said some fans thought they were getting a deal on tickets to Game 2 in front of the RBC Center. They paid more than $400 for a pair of tickets that turned out to be fake. According to police, they were able to point out the person who allegedly sold them the tickets. Authorities nabbed Carl Siede for selling the bogus Stanley Cup tickets.

Legitimate tickets bought at reputable locations like a box office are like money. They have their own blue print with certain characteristics that aren't always visible to the naked eye. RBC Center assistant general manager Larry Perkins said fans wouldn't know they've bought fake tickets until they present them at the door.

Perkins says a good way to recognize a fake ticket is to examine the paper it's printed on.

"If you tear a ticket, you can look at different colors and layers, but color copiers can only print on one side or the other as opposed to layers of colors in the ticket itself," said Perkins.

The risk fans take buying tickets off the street could derail their goal of getting into the Stanley Cup Finals. However, Sughrue said people shouldn't be afraid to come forward if they've been scammed. He said the crime is selling tickets more than $3 over face value, not buying them.