(Radio Iowa) – The three-day Hinterland festival is the first weekend in August in St. Charles, and there’s a whole string of big name concerts during the upcoming Iowa State Fair, and Iowans are being warned about phony tickets for those and other events. Lisa Schiller, at the Better Business Bureau, says one scam that might surprise Iowans is how crooks are selling tickets to entirely made-up concerts.

“Search online for the festival’s name,” Schiller says. “Ensure that the name advertised matches the website. Scammers often like to use names that sound similar to those of real festivals.” This goes double if someone’s trying to sell tickets for your favorite artist in concert. She says criminals are able to target big fans with fake tickets using information gathered from social media.

Everybody loves a deal, but Schiller says a really good deal might be a red flag. “There is no way a festival can offer tickets at extremely low prices without losing money,” she says, “so if the prices are much lower than elsewhere, it’s likely a scam.”

Schiller says it’s important to research an online purchase before clicking “PAY.” Check the artist’s schedule and see if they really are playing at the event, and check reputable online sources to see if an event is actually taking place.