Facebook has become a hotbed for ticket scammers, and more victims across the tri-state are taking the bait, losing hundreds of dollars in seconds - with each scheme.

A "Belieber" from Long Island found that out the hard way, and decided to Turn to Tara.

Nursing student Emily Chertoff, 20, couldn't believe her luck when she stumbled upon a seller on a Facebook page, willing to sell her and her two younger sisters, front-section seats to a sold out Justin Bieber concert at the Barclays Center last June for only $250 each.

She even had verification for the tickets.

"So I thought what I was doing was perfect. Then she told me that her credit card isn't working. And she needs me to pay her sister. I messaged $750 from my debit card. And then they all blocked me," says Chertoff.

No longer able reach the seller or anyone on the page, Chertoff quickly realized she had been scammed.

"I mean, I was so upset about this whole situation. I called the bank immediately and they said it was my fault and they wouldn't give me the money back," she says.

The Turn to Tara team did some research and sadly - she's right. As COVID-19 restrictions ease, social media is increasingly becoming a hotbed for ticket scammers. Just last year the Better Business Bureau received more than 140 complaints alone in the tri-state area.

News 12's social media manager Shawn Brown says that the safest thing you can do is to start out by trying to buy your tickets first directly from the official vendor’s website.

"I would rather pay a little bit more knowing that I'm getting what I'm paying for," Brown says.

Here are some other steps to avoid ticket traps:

- Never send money without seeing the ticket first. Ask to see a screen grab!

- You should also avoid using cash apps like Venmo, because you'll have much better luck reversing charges using the PayPal Goods and Services feature.

- And if you need to use the re-sale market, stick with the more reputable sites like Ticketmaster and StubHub, because with those sites, you are typically guaranteed your money back if there's a problem.

Whereas, if you lose your money on sites like Facebook, you often are out of luck, but not always. In Chertoff's case, after Turn to Tara intervened, her bank agreed to credit back her account.

News 12 reached out to Facebook and they told us they are aware of the problem and trying to identify ways to crack down and protect ticket buyers. Below is the company's full statement:

“We invest heavily in strengthening our technology to keep scammers off our platforms, and we remove these accounts when we discover them. We also provide a number of tools to help people avoid scams and control their privacy, like safety notices, message delivery controls, blocking, and reporting. We encourage people to report suspicious messages right away so we can take action," a Meta spokesperson said.

Got a problem? You should Turn to Tara. HERE'S HOW.