On August 25, 2015 Chandler Police arrested 41-year-old Mark Tracy for his alleged involvement in a ticket scamming operation. Mr. Tracy was booked into the Maricopa County Jail on one count of Fraudulent Schemes and four counts of Theft by Misrepresentation. Detectives from the Department’s Financial Crimes Unit have been investigating Mr. Tracy since March of 2015.
While a handful of victims have come forward, investigators believe others have been victimized by Mr. Tracy.
His modus operandi is quite simple; Mr. Tracy places fraudulent advertisements online, mainly through Craigslist. In these ads, Mr. Tracy offers tickets for sale to big name sporting events and concerts. In each ad, Mr. Tracy implies he has possession of the tickets and is unable to use them. In some of the fraudulent ads, Mr. Tracy has offered additional incentives such as parking passes or drink vouchers. Upon contact with potential buyers, Mr. Tracy directs the victim to provide funds up-front either directly to his bank account, various prepaid cards via MoneyGram, or PayPal.
The victims in Mr. Tracy’s scheme fail to receive any of the items they believed they purchased: In each instance, Mr. Tracy has not possessed any of the tickets advertised for sale.
Craigslist ads linked to Mr. Tracy have been found in all regions of the United States. If you believe you have fallen victim to Mr. Tracy, please contact Detective Moore # 613 with the Chandler Police Department at (480) 782-4441.
