The head of Bridgeport's Klein Memorial Auditorium issued a warning Wednesday urging ticket buyers to only purchase tickets from the venue's official website.

"I recently uncovered a practice that threatens this entire industry as unauthorized ticketing platforms resell our tickets at wildly inflated prices," said Klein executive director Laurence Caso.

"I've now uncovered 57 ticket orders through 28 different patrons who have no idea that they've been duped," Caso said.

One of those patrons was Florisca Carter, who says she recently paid $109 for a ticket to a jazz event at the Klein for which the nonprofit theater was charging only $27.

"It's wrong and misleading, and I'm angry about it," Carter said.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal says he was alerted to the practice in August when Caso contacted him looking for help with the situation.

"I have informed the Federal Trade Commission, and I will be urging them to investigate and take steps to prevent this practice going forward," Blumenthal said.

"This kind of reselling by third-party vendors victimizes the ticket buyers and fans, but also great theaters such as the Klein, who are deprived of funding and resources to do the wonderful work they do," Blumenthal said.

Caso urges anyone who wants to buy tickets to a production at the Klein to go to www.theklein.org.