MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A woman says she is out $5,000 after trusting a man who said he was selling legitimate tickets to the College Football National Championship game outside Hard Rock Stadium.
Tarece Glenn said she and her husband were scammed while trying to enter the championship game.
“To have that happen, I was in tears,” Glenn said. “To get scammed, I know better than that. I wanted to get into the game. It was a lapse of judgment.”
Glenn shared photos with Local 10 News of the men she says took their money in exchange for tickets that turned out to be fake.
According to Glenn, after the couple transferred the money, one man disappeared while the other began to run.
“The second guy disappeared, and the person, the main guy that took my money started to run,” she said. “I’m a runner. I’m almost 60 years old, and I followed him.”
Glenn said fans from both Miami and Indiana heard the couple’s cries for help and assisted in stopping the suspect. Miami-Dade Sheriff’s deputies then arrived and began an investigation.
Police arrested Eddie Hudson of New York and charged him with grand theft. Investigators say the victims transferred $5,000 through Venmo and were sent fraudulent tickets. Hudson appeared before a judge on Tuesday.
Glenn said Venmo later informed her that the company could not recover the funds.
“Venmo sent me a letter today that they can’t do anything about it,” she said. “I would caution people not to use Venmo -- not to use their bank account with Zelle.”
Glenn said she had previously used ticket scalpers to attend sporting events in Indiana without any issues. However, she says this experience has changed her mind.
“I’ll never use scalpers again,” Glenn said. “Sorry, there’s probably some good ones out there.”
Despite the ordeal, the Glenns eventually made it into the game after kickoff and watched Indiana’s Hoosiers win the national title.
Glenn said the couple wants their money returned and would consider dropping the charges if the funds are recovered.
Hudson bonded out early Wednesday on a $2,500 bond. A judge ordered him to stay away from Hard Rock Stadium and the victims.
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