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Obama Inaugural Attendees Targeted by Ticket Scammers

Tickets only available in January 2009 from Congress

November 12, 2008

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If you're trying to get tickets to the historic inaugural ceremonies for President-elect Barack Obama, beware of online brokers and outlets offering them for sale.

Those tickets--which are free--will be distributed in January 2009 by senators and representatives of the 111th Congress. And consumer must pick up them up in person.

"Any website or ticket broker claiming that they have inaugural tickets is simply not telling the truth," Howard Gantman, Staff Director for The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC), warns on his committee's Web site.

"Tickets for the swearing-in of President-elect are all provided through members of Congress, and the President-elect and Vice President-elect through the Presidential Inaugural Committee. We urge the public to view any offers of tickets for sale with great skepticism."

California Senator Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the inauguration committee, is warning Internet sites not to sell scalped tickets to the events. She's also drafting legislation that would make it a misdemeanor to sell tickets to the January 20th ceremonies.

Feinstein said she expects tremendous demand for the 250,000 tickets to the event, and has heard reports that some may sell for as much as $40,000 online.

According to The Chicago Tribune, a pair of tickets to Obama's swearing-in ceremony has already sold for $10,858 each.

On Tuesday, ConsumerAffairs.com found an online broker selling tickets to the swearing-in ceremony for $1,450 to $7,750 each.That site also said it "guarantees to get your tickets in time for the event."

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