Anyone seeking tickets to the sold-out Seattle Seahawks playoff game Saturday against the New Orleans Saints needs to be aware of bogus tickets and take a few steps to make sure the tickets they buy privately are good, according to a Better Business Bureau media release.

The road to Super Bowl XLVII will wind through Seattle in 2014, and fall right into Better Business Bureau’s backyard, according to the release. Ticket resellers are already busy swinging deals (such as $14,000 tickets) with anyone willing to buy seats for the big game. But before making massive purchases, BBB warns fans to guard against blitzing scammers.

“CenturyLink will be sold out, so anyone wanting tickets can expect to pay a fortune,” says Tyler Andrew, CEO of BBB serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington. “Be extremely careful when purchasing tickets from third-party sellers and remember that great last-minute deals could turn out too-good-to-be-true.”

In the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl, ticket seekers will be “rushing” online classifieds in hopes of finding private dealers willing to sell off valuable tickets. However, BBB reminds consumers to stick with their playbooks:

• Spot the fakes. Learn how real tickets look and feel; watch for flimsy paper, smeared ink and uneven margins. When in doubt, walk away.

• Go with star players. Use reliable and verifiable ticket sellers and resellers that hold vendors responsible for ticket authenticity.

• Avoid the sack. Never wire funds to make purchases. Use credit cards online and dispute the charges if tickets don’t arrive or turn out to be fakes.

• Call a timeout. Avoid sellers that fail to provide contact information or prefer to conduct transactions privately. When buying tickets from local sellers, meet them in well-lit public places and bring a friend.

Check bbb.org and don’t be left cheering alone this postseason.