"You want to trust people:" Waukesha family fooled by convincing Packers ticket scam



WAUKESHA -- The scam was very convincing. A Waukesha family lost more than $700. They thought they were getting tickets to a big Green Bay Packers game, but the tickets were never delivered -- and now they say the FBI is involved.



It sounds like this family is not alone. FOX6 News has been contacted by others who have said the exact same thing happened to them. They all say this seemed legitimate.

"It would have been our first Packers game that we were going to, so obviously we were excited to go," said Steve Carlson.

The Carlson family in Waukesha is just one family to fall victim to a convincing and extensive Packers ticket scam.

"It's been a roller coaster because you want to have faith in people and you want to trust people and you want to feel that people won't do this to you," said Carol Carlson.

The Carlsons bought eight tickets for $91 a piece, through a friend of friends. The seller was believed to be a former sports agent with connections to the Packers.



The Carlsons were supposed to go to the Packers vs. Chargers game, but they were told those tickets fell through. So they were offered tickets to the Packers vs. Bears game instead. Then those tickets never came.

"One week it was the money was being wired. Then it was a car accident or somebody's car broke down," said Carol Carlson.

They say their friends who arranged for the tickets were scammed by someone they trusted.

"And they feel terrible. I feel terrible for them," said Carol Carlson.

The Carlson's friends collected more than $30,000 from friends and co-workers in exchange for tickets they were promised were coming. The seller is someone they'd known for years. Now they say the FBI is investigating.

"I'm assuming at this point that the likelihood of us getting our money back is not going to happen but I mean, if this person is really responsible for it I'd like to see her go to jail," said Steve Carlson.

FOX6 News isn't naming the suspect because she hasn't been criminally charged. But she has been indicted before for wire, mail and credit card fraud, and is accused of stealing nearly $2 million from her business.

That history was unknown to the families who thought they were just buying tickets from a mutual friend.

"What they were doing sounded legitimate," said Steve.

The FBI is not commenting.

The suspect has a jury trial scheduled for April, for the fraud case mentioned above. The indictment in that case says the fraud took place while she worked for a company that did marketing for the Green Bay Packers.