Gov. Cuomo warns of ticket scams for Pope Francis' New York City visit

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Governor Andrew Cuomo on Monday warned New Yorkers of ticket sale scams surrounding Pope Francis' scheduled September visit, and he urged those interested in getting tickets to only get them from verified sources.

The Archdiocese of New York has confirmed that tickets will not be sold for any of the pope's planned events and will only be made available through Catholic parishes.

"We want as many people as possible to be able to be with Pope Francis when he is here in New York," Archdiocese of New York spokesperson Joe Zwilling said. "But we also want people to know that no ticket is ever for sale."

Additionally, other dioceses in New York State (Brooklyn, Rockville Centre, Albany, Syracuse, Ogdensburg, Rochester and Buffalo) will receive tickets to distribute to their members.

"Anyone attempting to sell tickets is a scam artist and should be avoided at all costs," Cuomo said.

Pope Francis will visit New York City on September 24 and 25 as part of his visit to the United States, the first papal visit since 2008.

"We want the people, primarily the people who are in our parishes, to be able to come and be at the Mass at Madison Square Garden," Zwilling said. "Come here to St. Patrick's Cathedral, to be able to experience the visit of Pope Francis up close."

Consumers are urged not to respond to any solicitation about purchasing tickets for the papal visit.

The New York Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection is advising the public to follow these tips to avoid becoming a victim:

--Check the validity of the Source: Always investigate the ticket source. If you obtain a ticket from an unverifiable source, you are taking a risk.

--Avoid clicking on links from unsolicited offers or unknown sources. You run the risk of having your online information becoming stolen.

--Don't wire transfer any money or payment. If someone asks you to send money via a wire service, that person is most likely a scammer.

--Don't fall for high-pressure tactics. Scammers always try to hurry their victims into making a decision.

"We've been very fortunate that in the two previous papal visits, there really haven't been many people who have fallen prey to any kind of a ticket scam," Zwilling said.

For more information on the pope's visit, go to PopeFrancisNYC.org.

To report a scam or file a consumer complaint, contact the New York State Department of State's Division of Consumer Protection, which can be reached at 518-474-8583 or by visiting DOS.NY.gov/consumerprotection.