Michigan AG Investigates Concert Ticket Resale Scheme Targeting Hill Auditorium

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has launched an investigation into an alleged fraudulent ticket resale scheme targeting events at the University of Michigan’s Hill Auditorium. The probe focuses on Pure Tonic Marketing Ltd., a company believed to be based in Seychelles, and the unknown operator of Ticket Squeeze, which ran deceptive websites mimicking official ticket platforms, including thehillauditorium.com and annarborconcerts.com. These websites redirected buyers to resale platforms charging exorbitantly inflated prices, with one consumer paying over $1,200 for tickets listed at $175 on the official University Musical Society (UMS) site. Despite the university winning a domain dispute that shut down one fraudulent site, the scheme reportedly continued through new domains. Attorney General Nessel emphasized that while ticket reselling is legal in Michigan, it must not involve deceptive practices, which violate the state's Consumer Protection Act. The investigation was initiated following a complaint from the UMS, aiming to protect consumers from such exploitative schemes.