Packers ticket scam victims reported across state

MARSHFIELD – Residents from throughout Wisconsin are reporting they were victimized by a Green Bay Packers ticket scam police say a 37-year-old Marshfield man used to steal tens of thousands of dollars.

Although the man admitted to scamming local football fans who thought they were buying Packers tickets, the investigation by the Marshfield Police Department Detective Bureau continues, as individuals from outside the department's jurisdiction report being scammed, said Lt. Darren Larson, head of the bureau.

"Now there are more victims outside our jurisdiction than are in it," Larson said, noting that reported victims include people from communities such as Eau Claire, Oshkosh and Fond du Lac.

The man, whom police have not identified, acted alone and is being cooperative with detectives, Larson said.

"We want a strong sense of the number of victims before we submit it (to the district attorney's office) for review. You only have one chance, and you want it to be thorough and accurate," Larson said.

Last week the bureau estimated there were about 20 victims who lost a total of $50,000, but Larson said those initial numbers might turn out to be low.

"There's a lot of complexity here," Larson said. "We're on two weeks of this investigation and we're still finding more (victims)."

Officers began to investigate after a 58-year-old Marshfield man reported Sept. 11 that he had paid $6,208 to the suspect and had not received any tickets.

The initial investigation by the detective bureau showed the suspect was targeting city businesses and that the scam began about a month ago, Larson said.

"His initial contact (with a business) was kind of like a 'cold call,'" which generated additional leads, Larson said.

Adding to the complexity of the investigation is that some of the victims received partial or full refunds from the 37-year-old Marshfield man.

"That's why the complete monetary loss and number of victims is hard to estimate," he said.

Individuals were lured into the scam because the suspect told the victims he could procure football game tickets because he had connections with the Green Bay Packers through a previous job, Larson said.

"Whatever he told people, there was just enough of a factual basis to make someone believe it," Larson said. "Again it's one of those cases where if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

Reporter Liz Welter can be reached at 715-384-3131. Find her on Twitter as @welter_liz.

To report information

To report being a victim of this crime, call the Marshfield Police Department at 715-384-3113 or the non-emergency Wood County Dispatch Center at 715-387-4394.