Police Warn of Fake Virginia Tech Football Tickets
Virginia Tech Police say scammers are selling fraudulent football tickets through unofficial student group chats as all six home games sell out.
Updated on Nov. 1, 2026 in College Applications
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The Virginia Tech Police Department has warned students about fraudulent football ticket sales circulating through unofficial student GroupMe chats. Scammers posing as group administrators have collected payment for tickets they never delivered and directed victims to third-party sites to steal personal information.
Why it matters
With all six 2026 home games sold out, students who could not secure tickets through official channels are being targeted by scammers. Police say the fraud is a recurring problem, following a similar warning issued in August about fake listings on social media.
All six Virginia Tech 2026 home football games are sold out, and student season tickets cost $250 for all home games. Police warned on October 21 about fraudulent listings, and the total number of victims and losses has not been disclosed.
The players
Virginia Tech Police Department
The campus law enforcement agency of Virginia Tech, which issued the fraud warnings to students.
Virginia Tech Athletics
The athletic department of Virginia Tech, which oversees the university's football program and ticketing.
The details
Scammers reposted fraudulent ticket listings in student GroupMe chats, using forged Hokie Passport IDs to appeal to victims. Once payment was sent, the sellers did not deliver tickets, and some directed buyers to third-party websites that harvested personal information.
Timeline
August 19, 2026: Police issued an earlier warning about fake ticket sales on social media.
October 21, 2026: Police warned about fraudulent ticket sales through GroupMe chats.
October 22, 2026: Virginia Tech Athletics announced the UVA game had sold out.
November 28, 2026: Virginia Tech plays Virginia in football.
Season Trajectory
The October warning follows an August alert about fake ticket sales on social media, showing that demand for Virginia Tech football has kept scam activity recurring across the season. With the home schedule fully sold out, students who missed the official distribution remain the most exposed to resale fraud.
Students hoping to attend a Hokies home game should buy only through official channels and avoid payments to individuals in group chats. Anyone who has already paid a suspicious seller should report the transaction to campus police.
The takeaway
Buying tickets from unofficial sellers in group chats carries real risk, especially when the official allotment is sold out. Verifying a seller through the school's official ticketing system is the safest way to avoid losing money or personal data.
What happens next
The UVA ticket lottery opens November 20-23, 2026, ahead of the November 28 Virginia Tech vs. Virginia game.
Further reading
For more on the campus community, see College Applications coverage in Blacksburg.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Collegiate Times.
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