Happening Now
Don't Fall For The Ticket Scam!
August 31, 2023
by Jim Mathews / President & CEO
I know we've all gone way, way past thinking that "if it's on the Internet, it must be true." But I've gotten enough messages about this one that as a public service I'm going to warn all of you -- and I hope you'll warn all of your friends and family.
It appears on Facebook under various names, and claims that if you pass on your personal information, you can get a "pass" from Amtrak to ride all year long for just one dollar.
You know the old saying: "If it sounds too good to be true, it is."
Amtrak actually has a great pass deal. The USA RailPass lets you take 10 one-segment trips of any length during a 30-day period for $499. In other words, you could take the Lake Shore from New York City to Chicago, change for the Empire Builder, and go all the way to Seattle...for $98. That's a real promotion! (If you're interested in the actual USA RailPass, follow this link.)
But when you see the scam I've included in this picture, turn around and run away. It's not real. It's a scam. And you'll be sorry to have played along.
"The National Association of Railroad Passengers has done yeoman work over the years and in fact if it weren’t for NARP, I'd be surprised if Amtrak were still in possession of as a large a network as they have. So they've done good work, they're very good on the factual case."
Robert Gallamore, Director of Transportation Center at Northwestern University and former Federal Railroad Administration official, Director of Transportation Center at Northwestern University
November 17, 2005, on The Leonard Lopate Show (with guest host Chris Bannon), WNYC New York.
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