Anyone who is buying tickets for a concert or festival this summer is advised to watch out for scam ticket sellers.
Action Fraud is advising anyone who is looking to buy concert or festival tickets to watch out for possible ticket scams.
Between May and June, Action Fraud had a 50% increase in reports from members of the public who had experienced some form of ticket fraud.
This has left many people disappointed and upset that they missed out on seeing their favourite band or performer.
If you’re looking to buy tickets, check out the tips below to help make sure you get to enjoy the event you’re paying for.
How do scam ticket websites work?
The website offers you the chance to buy tickets to a popular event. The event is often actually sold-out, or the tickets haven’t officially gone on sale yet.
- You pay for the tickets but they are never delivered.
- In some cases you might be told that a customer representative will meet you at the venue on the day. Nobody turns up.
- You may even receive tickets, but when you arrive at the event, the organisers tell you the tickets are fake.
- When you try to call the company you bought the tickets from, your calls are not answered or do not connect.
Remember that it’s easy for scammers to set up a fake website that looks genuine. Some even use a name or website url that is similar to a legitimate website. If you’re unsure or it sounds too good to be true, leave the website immediately.
Protect yourself from scam ticket websites
- Check with the event organiser, promoter or venue how and when tickets are being distributed.
- Ask questions, such as when the ticket will be dispatched and what type of ticket you are buying.
- Pay for tickets by credit card – the card issuer is jointly liable for a failure for goods or services to be provided as long as the price of a single ticket is more than £100 (but less than £30,000).
- Check the payment pages are secure by looking for a padlock symbol in the address bar, and making sure the website address begins with ‘https’.
If you think you have been a victim of ticket fraud, call Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or use our online fraud reporting tool.
