Fake graduation tickets

A U. of I. student reported that he attempted to purchase graduation tickets from an unknown person whom the student met through social media. The student attempted five times to transfer $30 to the unknown person through a mobile banking app. Each time, the student received a text message stating that the transaction failed. The student then sent $29 through a different banking app, but never heard from the purported seller and never received the tickets. The student later learned that the phone number from which he was receiving the failed transaction messages is not owned by the banking app. In total, the student lost $179.