Two men trying to pass off counterfeit Super Bowl LII tickets were arrested at a Bloomington hotel, authorities said.

Police were alerted to the scam early Saturday afternoon at the AmericInn near Interstate 494 and France Avenue, said Deputy Police Chief Mike Hartley.

The duo, both from Atlanta, "were attempting to sell Super Bowl LII tickets at a much lower price than face value," a statement from police read.

The men had "several game tickets" for Sunday's matchup between the Patriots and the Eagles that were determined to be fake by the Minneapolis Police Department's counterfeiting team.

The suspects, ages 38 and 27, were jailed on suspicion of possessing counterfeit goods, a felony. Charges have yet to be filed.

"Be wary of advertisements with ridiculously low prices," the police statement continued.

Every year, according to NFL officials, fans are turned away at stadiums because they bought a counterfeit ticket, or came with a ticket that had been stolen and resold.

The NFL urges fans to avoid buying tickets from someone on the street and to pay for all transactions with a credit card. League officials also note that counterfeit tickets can be quite sophisticated. To deter fraud, the NFL insists on paper tickets using logos with heat-sensitive ink.

The hologram logo disappears when rubbed and returns when the ink cools. Other images can only be seen under black light.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482