Don't Fall for Oprah Ticket Scam

One of the more popular activities for visitors coming to Chicago is to attend a live taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show. Not surprisingly, scam artists are trying to capitalize on that popularity. According to today's Chicago Tribune, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan issued a warning about unsolicited e-mails sent by dubious folks in the effort to con you out of your personal information. The messages ask the recipients to send their financial information or to wire money in exchange for a guaranteed audience ticket for a future Oprah taping.

The main tip-off that this is not legit is the fact that the Oprah Winfrey Show does not sell tickets, and has a system in place to eliminate scalpers -- you must call and make a reservation, then present a photo ID before entering the television studio. Because of that, you should not buy a ticket from anyone claiming to have an Oprah ticket for sale, even if they say they are simply reselling their own ticket. Read my article on the real way to get Oprah tickets, and avoid losing your hard-earned cash.