MADISON, Wis. (WSAU) - Officials in Madison are reminding football fans to be safe with their playoff tickets.

Consumer protection administrator Sandy Chalmers says there's a number of ways scammers are using to either get your tickets or your money. You should never post full pictures of your tickets online or in your social media. "Unfortunately the photo of that ticket includes a barcode which is easy for counterfeiters to reproduce." Chalmers says if you do insist on posting tickets online, to mask out or distort the barcode with editing software.

If you're in the market to buy a ticket, you should only be using official online ticket exchanges like the NFL's own ticket service or services like Stubhub. Chalmers says there's protection built in. "They have ways to ensure that those tickets are valid." Legitimate NFL tickets are printed on thick, heavy paper with barcodes, holograms, custom laser cutouts and a specially-made gloss varnish. In addition, the NFL says the tickets include heat sensitive graphics that disappear with the touch of a thumb.

You can get more safety info online at http://datcp.wisconsin.gov or call the Consumer Protection Hotline toll-free at 1-800-422-7128.