The national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, Action Fraud has issued a warning to be wary of ticket scammers while searching for the best deals on tickets for this summer’s biggest events, including concerts, sports events and festivals. In 2022, following the first full summer post COVID-19, a staggering £6.7million was lost to ticket fraud, following 7,088 crime reports in the UK, 612 of which were from the North East, Yorkshire & Humber regions.
Pauline Smith, Head of Action Fraud, comments:“Action Fraud has seen a rise in ticket fraud over the past twelve months, as criminals take advantage of people wanting to enjoy more live sport and music. We urge people to be wary of ticket sales from unknown websites or people they do not know. Criminals may offer deals on sold-out or exclusive events, however once you have parted with your money, the tickets are either fraudulent or never appear at all. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
How to spot the signs of ticket fraud:
- Only buy tickets from the venue’s box office, official promoter or agent, or a well-known ticketing website.
- Avoid paying for tickets by bank transfer, especially if buying from someone unknown. Credit card or payment services such as PayPal give you a better chance of recovering the money if you become a victim of fraud.
- Be wary of unsolicited emails, texts or adverts offering unbelievably good deals on tickets.
- Is the vendor a member of STAR? If they are, the company has signed up to their strict governing standards. STAR also offers an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution service to help customers with outstanding complains. For more information visit star.org.uk/buy safe
If you have fallen victim to ticket fraud or any other scam, please report to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
For further guidance on protecting you and your business please contact [email protected]
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