WATCH OUT FOR COUNTERFEIT SUPER BOWL TICKETS

So, you think you’ve scored great tickets to the Super Bowl. You spent a small fortune to go to the big game at Raymond James Stadium between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Arizona Cardinals. Then, you show up at the turnstile before kickoff Sunday and you’re turned away and possibly detained by police. This nightmare scenario could possibly unfold if you’re not careful, the NFL and law enforcement officials warn, offering several tips on how to avoid this misfortune from happening. “We see it every year, people turned away from the gate telling heartbreaking stories about what they gave up to support their team,” NFL senior counsel Anastasia Danias told the St. Petersburg Times. “Even if a ticket looks real, it may have been reported lost or stolen.” Fake tickets are expected to start showing up in the next day or two, according to the article. Here are a couple of ways to ensure that you have bought an authentic ticket, courtesy of the Times. 1. “Super Bowl XLIII” should be laser-cut into the ticket with light able to shine through it. 2. There should be a hologram on the back of your ticket. If you turn the ticket in one direction, it should show the words “TAMPA BAY.” Turn it the other way, and the ticket should display a Super Bowl logo. If both images are visible simultaneously, then the ticket is probably a counterfeit. 3. An image of the stadium should be at the bottom of the ticket with the field and two stripes above it printed in heat sensitive green ink. If you rub the ticket with your thumb, the field and stripes go away, returning if you remove your thumb. There are reportedly five other security features that remain private so potential counterfeiters won’t be able to copy them. The NFL estimates that roughly 100 to 200 fans arrive at the big game with tickets that are either fake, lost or stolen, advising fans to only buy tickets through authorized sellers like TicketMaster.