An NYC mom thought she was buying Billie Eilish concert tickets online. She wound up with a cautionary tale.
A New York City mother said she paid hundreds for her girls to see pop star Billie Eilish on Long Island this fall, but instead of tickets, she got a costly lesson.
Sadia Brangan said she couldn't find tickets on a trusted website like Ticketmaster. Her daughters, however, found what appeared to be another teen selling extra tickets online. A video posted on TikTok featured a young woman dancing, with the words "I'm selling 3 tickets for Billie Eilish" printed on the screen.
"Everything, to me, seemed legitimate," Brangan said.
Brangan's daughter messaged the account.
"I said let's do [American Express], because AmEx has more protection for me," Brangan said. "Came back, no. She doesn't want AmEx. She needs to do Apple Cash."
Using Apple Cash, the family sent $380 to one email address, and then $125 to another.
"Go and get your lawyer"
Suddenly, the seller refused to release any tickets, until she got more money.
When the family asked for a refund, the seller replied "go and get your lawyer."
CBS News New York tried calling and messaging the person selling the tickets, but got blocked.
Brangan said she did not know who the seller is.
"She's going to get more money out of other girls," Brangan said.
Even if you have a name, it's risky to buy goods or services from a stranger online. Last month, CBS News New York reported on women who said they were ghosted after giving an influencer thousands for a course.
The red flag in this case: The seller would only accept payment through Apple Cash or Zelle. Both companies say you should only use their digital payment platform with people that you know and trust. Once that money leaves your account, it's gone.
A credit card typically offers more fraud protection than other payment methods. If you're a victim of fraud, you have 60 days to request a refund.
Meanwhile, TikTok said it took down the video offering the sale of the tickets for violating its guidelines. You can find out more about that .