Charlotte Hornets

NBA warns of fake tickets, merchandise ahead of All-Star weekend

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Thousands of fans from across the county and the world will be coming to Charlotte for the NBA All-Star Weekend that runs from Feb. 15 to 17.

NBA officials warn those fans of scams, which they said has happened in nearly every other host city.

[Next month's NBA All-Star Game projected to bring $100 million to Charlotte]

Con artists are known to sell phony tickets and hats and jerseys, among other popular merchandise.

“Some of these counterfeits aren't exactly cheap, so they're out the money and they're out the experience,” said Mike Potenza, NBA assistant general counsel for intellectual property.

Potenza works with agencies on state and federal levels to try to stop scams before they happen.

“Even if it sounds legit, people will try getting domain names that are for example, ‘Charlotte All-Star,’ They try to make it sound like they're somehow official,” Potenza said.

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