FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE; WED., JAN 6, 2016
FROM CINCINNATI BENGALS PUBLIC RELATIONS
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FANS PLANNING TO ATTEND BENGALS GAME
ADVISED TO BEWARE OF COUNTERFEIT TICKETS
AND TO EXPECT EXTRA SECURITY PRESENCE
Single-game tickets for the Bengals' Saturday night playoff game against the Pittsburgh Steelers are sold out, and the high demand to attend the game will bring large numbers of fans to Paul Brown Stadium hours before kickoff.
There are a limited number of playoff ticket packages still available for fans wishing to acquire Season Tickets for the 2016 season, and tickets for Saturday night are also available on the secondary market. But the Club wants to caution fans that there likely are many counterfeit tickets being offered through craigslist and other outlets.
"Only tickets that have been purchased directly from the Bengals, or through the NFL Ticket Exchange, can be guaranteed for the game," said Bengals spokesman Bob Bedinghaus.
To purchase packages through the Bengals, fans should call the Bengals Ticket Hotline at 866-621-8383 (TDTD) or visit Bengals.com/tickets. The NFL Ticket Exchange can also be accessed through Bengals.com, by clicking on the POSTSEASON TICKETS bar on the home page.
Counterfeit ticket scams for the game have already been uncovered. Last night, a man was arrested for attempting to sell counterfeit tickets through a craigslist ad. The Cincinnati Police arrested Mario Riep of Cincinnati, and he remains in jail today.
Just prior to the Bengals vs. Houston game on Mon., Nov. 16, the Hamilton County Sheriff's office intercepted and arrested a pair of men who were attempting to sell hundreds counterfeit tickets and parking passes.
"We have spoken to Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters," Bedinghaus said, "and he has told us he intends to aggressively pursue anyone caught selling counterfeit tickets or parking passes."
Additionally, the Bengals want to caution all fans about posting photos of their tickets online, because counterfeiters can copy the barcode off the photo to create a counterfeit ticket.
Lastly, the Bengals suggest that fans arrive early to the game to avoid missing kickoff. Gates will open at 6:45 p.m. and though the process of going through security will remain the same as during the regular season, fans will notice a larger presence of uniformed officers as they arrive at the game.
"We have a great relationship with law enforcement throughout the region," Bedinghaus said. "We're proud to have worked seamlessly with Cincinnati Police, the Hamilton County Sheriff, the Ohio Highway Patrol, the Kentucky State Police and the Boone County Sheriff."
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