For Michigan Wolverines fans, what was supposed to be a fun weekend attending the August 1 Morgan Wallen concert is turning out to be a massive scam. Many are left distraught, claiming they have been cheated out of tickets and a VIP experience.

FOX 2 Detroit reported that a fan, a woman named Anderson, had brought tickets for a Morgan Wallen meet-and-greet through HailGate. They, however, turned out to be just concert tickets. 

“Looking back, I should've known better because I know Morgan Wallen doesn’t do meet-and-greets, but I just thought he had some crazy connection, and he was like friends of friends kind of thing,” Jamie Sherrod reported for FOX 2 Detroit.

According to a report by Click on Detroit, HailGate is a Facebook group run by John Klein, a Plymouth resident. He is alleged to take money from customers and give little to no returns. 

Mathias Conant, another victim, paid around $3,200 for the concert but has received nothing, per the report. So far, Michigan’s Attorney General has confirmed three complaints against the football tailgate group. 

“So it wasn't like your grandma’s scammer. I was just like, he knows someone through U-of-M or through Morgan Wallen or whatever,” Anderson told  FOX 2 Detroit. “I didn't get scammed for that much. Mine was $125, but I know there’s people that have lost thousands of dollars.”

According to FOX 2 Detroit, Anderson plans to attend the concert, enjoying it anyway. 

This is not the first time HailGate has been accused of scamming Wolverines fans. Something similar happened over a year ago. 

Old alleged scam by HailGate resurfaces after delayed refund

A year ago, Michigan Wolverines fans were stranded asking for a refund. HailGate promised them Michigan memorabilia, but they received nothing. 

“He was saying he could get team-signed helmets with Bryce on it, so I sent him the money. I ended up sending him $700 for a team-signed helmet and one of the footballs with the Michigan logo,” said Brett Laskey, a victim, per FOX 2 Detroit. 

After the fiasco, nearly 400 people have joined a Facebook group called “Hailgate Victims.”

Laskey, from Florida, shared his experience with Hailgate. 

He also revealed how his conversation with the scammer went. 

“I reached out to him. I go, ‘Hey, how’d it go? When are you going to send my helmet?’” FOX 2 Detroit reported on July 21. “And he comes back with, ‘Oh, they aren’t signing the way I wanted them to sign. They were only doing initials.’ He’s compromised. You don’t know what you’re going to get now. I would never buy from him again, any Michigan-related anything.” 

After over a year and legal action, Laskey managed to get his money back earlier this week on July 20. The organizers of Hailgate appear to have exploited the Wolverines fans for their team in more ways than one. 

Ann Arbor police have asked fans to remain cautious of such scams.

Read more at the Michigan Football Community!

Written by

Akanksha Biradar