Image credit: Iracaz via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0). License: CC BY-SA 3.0.
If you are booking the Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Ferry this week, buy only on the company’s own site.
The ferry operator posted a scam alert after learning that a fraudulent website was claiming to sell tickets for its Long Island Sound crossing, and it says it has already contacted law enforcement.
- Alert: A fraudulent website is selling fake Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Ferry tickets.
- Official sales: Buy only at 88844ferry.com or by calling 1-888-44-FERRY.
- Response: The company says it contacted law enforcement after customer reports.
- If scammed: Dispute the charge, then report to police, the FTC, and the FBI IC3 tip line.
- Route: The ferry links Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Port Jefferson, New York.
What the ferry company says happened
On its official scam alert page, the Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Steamboat Company says a fraudulent website claims to sell tickets for the ferry and that the company contacted law enforcement to protect customers.
The company is explicit about the only authorized channels. Tickets sold anywhere else are not valid for boarding, even if a third-party site shows a booking confirmation that looks polished.
Newsday reported the same warning on August 25, 2026, quoting the company’s statement that authorized tickets are sold only through its website and that travelers should treat discount ads as a red flag. Use Newsday for independent confirmation of the public alert, and use the ferry’s own page for the steps that protect a booking.
How the scam tries to look real
Ferry tickets are a classic target for lookalike sites. Travelers searching for Bridgeport Port Jefferson schedules often land on ads promising cheaper fares, last-minute deals, or third-party convenience that the official site does not offer.
The company warns specifically about third-party websites and social media ads offering discounted ferry tickets. The practical test is simple: if the URL is not the ferry’s official site, do not pay.
A fake confirmation does not become a real ticket at the terminal. Arriving with a fraudulent printout or QR code still leaves you buying again at the counter, if space remains, after you have already lost the first payment.
Where to buy legitimate tickets
Authorized tickets are sold on the company’s website at 88844ferry.com or by calling 1-888-44-FERRY. The company repeats that phone line as the place to ask questions about legitimate purchase channels.
Buying early still matters on peak summer and holiday sailings because vehicle space fills before walk-on seats do. The scam warning does not change that inventory reality. It only changes which checkout you trust.
Keep the confirmation email from the official domain and the order number you can recite at the booth. If a friend or relative books for your car, make sure the name and vehicle details match what the booth will ask.
What to do if you already paid a fake site
The ferry’s alert lists a clear recovery sequence. Contact your bank or credit card company immediately to dispute the charge. Then file a local law-enforcement report and report the fraudulent website to the Federal Trade Commission at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
Also file an internet crime complaint with the FBI at ic3.gov. The company lists New York contacts for Suffolk and Nassau counties, the New York Attorney General consumer complaint channel, Bridgeport Police, Connecticut State Police Troop G, and the Connecticut Attorney General complaint form.
After you start the dispute and reports, call 1-888-44-FERRY to buy legitimate tickets for the sailing you still need. Do not wait for a scam refund before securing a real crossing if your trip date is close.
Why this matters for Long Island Sound trip planning
The Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Ferry is a common car and walk-on link between Connecticut and Long Island when drivers want to skip longer road routes around the Sound. A bad ticket purchase is not only a money loss. It can strand a timed itinerary that assumed a specific sailing.
Travelers stitching beach days on either shore can still use Deep Arrival’s Northeast beaches guide for destination fit. The ferry alert is separate from beach planning: it is a checkout rule, not a change to the crossing schedule itself.
Confirmed facts from the company: a fraudulent ticket website exists, law enforcement has been contacted, official sales are limited to the company website and phone line, and victims should dispute charges and file FTC and IC3 reports.
Still unknown from the public alert: the fraudulent domain name, how many customers already paid, and whether any boarding incidents occurred. The company did not publish those details on the scam page.
Practical terminal habits that still help
Arrive with enough time to resolve a ticket problem at the booth without missing the sailing. Vehicle lanes move on the ferry’s boarding clock, not on your phone’s confirmation timestamp from a random site.
If two people in your party booked separately, make sure both used the official site. Mixing one real ticket and one fake ticket in the same car creates a messy gate conversation that slows everyone behind you.
Screenshot the official order page while you still have service. Cell coverage can be uneven near the waterfront, and arguing from memory wastes the minutes you need to rebook.
Parents traveling with kids should remember the company’s own fare rules separately from the scam alert. Children 12 and under policies and walk-on versus vehicle inventory remain on the official fare pages, not on third-party ads.
Business travelers who treat the ferry like a shuttle should bookmark the official site rather than relying on search ads from a hotel lobby. The scam works best against people who are rushing and clicking the first convenient checkout.
Seasonal visitors from outside New York and Connecticut may not recognize the real brand name. Looking for the Steamboat Company name and the 88844ferry.com domain before paying is the fastest authenticity check the public alert supports.
| If you… | What to do |
|---|---|
| Still need tickets | Buy only at 88844ferry.com or by calling 1-888-44-FERRY. |
| Saw a discount ferry ad on social media | Ignore it and open the official site directly, not from the ad. |
| Already paid a third-party site | Dispute the charge, report to police, FTC, and IC3, then buy real tickets. |
| Are driving a car onto a peak sailing | Reserve early on the official site; vehicle space is the scarce inventory. |
- Checkout rule: Official website or phone only until the company says otherwise.
- Ad distrust: Discount social ads for this ferry are a warning sign, not a bargain.
- Trip timing: If you were scammed close to departure, buy legitimate tickets before waiting on a refund.
- Evidence pack: Save screenshots, URLs, and bank statements for the dispute and police report.
The Sound crossing itself remains a normal ferry product. The new traveler decision is narrower and more urgent: treat every non-official ticket seller as unsafe until the company and law enforcement say the fraudulent site is gone.
Is there a fake Bridgeport and Port Jefferson Ferry ticket website?
Yes. The ferry company says a fraudulent website claims to sell its tickets and that it has contacted law enforcement about the scam.
Where can travelers buy legitimate ferry tickets?
Only through the official website at 88844ferry.com or by calling 1-888-44-FERRY, according to the company scam alert.
What should you do if you already bought fake tickets?
Dispute the charge with your bank or card issuer, report to local police, file FTC and FBI IC3 complaints, then buy legitimate tickets from the ferry company.
Does the scam change the ferry schedule?
No public schedule change was announced with the alert. The warning is about ticket sellers, not sailings.
Which phone number is the official ferry line?
The company directs ticket questions to 1-888-44-FERRY on its scam alert page.
