In case you haven't heard, Ultra starts Friday. As of Wednesday evening, tickets to the weekend megafestival were 98 percent sold out, according to the organization's website. And oh, there's this: The three-day general admission passes retail for $400, plus a $90 service charge.
But thanks to Craigslist, wannabe Ultra-goers have an alternative. A cheaper, slightly less, you know, legal, alternative. Fake tickets.
See also: How Ultra Will Affect Downtown Traffic
The post, which was still active at the time of publication, includes pictures of the front and back of a real Ultra ticket adjacent to the front and back of a very convincing-looking "replica" ticket and advertises the frauds for $150, promising a discount if a large quantity is purchased. It also says the tickets "can be used to get in if you use a little common sense." Asked by text message to elaborate, the poster responded to Riptide:
"They're are about 2-3 checkpoint before you get to were they scan your ticket. Wit these replicas you will be about to go through the checkpoints then ultimately be able to pay off the member that scans you in."
Pay off the security guy just like that? Is it really that easy? And how much does it take to grease the guards?
Yes, it is, says the fake-ticket seller. And 20 bucks should do the job, he or she responded, plus maybe a few singles padded underneath.
Told this seems like a cheap bribe, the poster offered a perfectly logical explanation: "Yeah they get paid shit lol."
According to Florida law, selling counterfeit goods is at least a first-degree misdemeanor. A public information officer for the Miami Police Department said the cops do not have a specific plan in place to address Ultra counterfeiting. "If we do come across it, then we'll cross that bridge when we get there," she said.
Below, a screenshot of the post:
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