Questions about the process to buy 76ers Tickets? We have answers

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Demand for 76ers tickets is skyrocketing after Lebron James signed onto the team.

Jill Gonzalez with StubHub said that demand is up around 200%.

"We're seeing interest. So just people searching for Sixers tickets is up 400%," she said.

That includes first-time ticket buyers like Lewis, who put a deposit on a partial season plan.

"You do put your credit card information in, and then it's based on how many slots you try to take," he told the Action News Troubleshooters.

Lewis went through the official NBA 76ers website and the transaction went through Ticketmaster.

Two days later he got a call from someone who said he was a sales associate for the Sixers.

According to Lewis, the caller said, "Hey, I need to verify your information about your purchase." Lewis said he then asked, "Why do you have to verify my information? It's already in there."

Lewis tells me then he got an email from the same person. asking him to submit a Docusign with his address and the last four digits of his credit card number or security code.

Lewis tells the Troubleshooters he did not feel comfortable submitting.

"So, you know, all my bells and whistles are going off and I'm like, well, maybe it's real and I'm not getting tickets. But if it ain't real, I ain't getting scammed," he said.

Lewis contacted the Action News Troubleshooters to get clarity, and we reached out to the 76ers.

A spokesperson tell us this is the Sixers process, saying, "As part of our standard protocol, any online deposits are followed by a verification call from our ticket sales department to confirm the legitimacy of the transaction and protection of the customer. We are committed to a secure process that ensures tickets end up in the hands of our fans."

Meantime, fans looking to buy game tickets later should be aware that only pre-season tickets are available right now, and while regular season ticket drop is on time since LeBron made his announcement, according to Gonzalez of StubHub, "They're not announcing the exact day. Last year it was August 14th. This year we're thinking maybe August 13th, but certainly in the next couple of weeks they will actually release the schedule. And that's when you'll be able to see all of the games and buy for all of games."

The Sixers also says if you are concerned about a call from an associate:

• Call the 76ers directly at (215) 339-7676
• Check the email domain for HBSE.com or 76ers.com
• Visit 76ers staff directory to cross check names - Staff Directory | Philadelphia 76ers

By the way, Lewis tells the Troubleshooters he is now continuing the process to get his partial season pass.