Ticket fraud
When you buy tickets from a website or agent for a concert or festival, a sporting event, or a live comedian or performer, but the tickets either don’t arrive or turn out to be fake and you aren’t refunded.
What is ticket fraud?
You may find a website advertised via email or social media offering you the chance to buy tickets to a popular event.
Fraudsters create their own bogus ticket retail companies; their websites are easy to make and look genuine. Some even use a name or website address very similar to a legitimate ticket sales website.
This is a form of phishing; fraudsters take advantage of the huge demand for the most popular events. The tickets they’re advertising have either already sold out, or haven’t officially gone on sale yet, but their website claims to have tickets available. In some instances the event they’re promoting doesn’t even exist.
You pay for the tickets, but they aren’t delivered. In some cases you may be told that a customer representative will meet you at the venue on the day to give you your ticket, but nobody turns up. You may even get the tickets in the post or print off an e-ticket, 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 aren’t answered or you’re told the company doesn’t provide refunds.
If you’re buying football tickets, it’s illegal for anyone to re-sell them in most instances.
How to protect yourself from ticket fraud
Where to buy tickets: Only buy tickets from the venue’s box office, official promoter or agent, or a well-known ticketing website.
Paying for tickets: 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.
Secure your account: The password you use for your email account, as well as any other accounts you use to purchase tickets, should be different from all your other passwords. Use three random words to create a strong and memorable password, and enable 2-step verification (2SV).
Ticket spam: Be wary of unsolicited emails, texts or adverts offering unbelievably good deals on tickets.
Look for the logo: Is the vendor a member of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (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 complaints. For more information visit star.org.uk/buy_safe.
What to do if you're a victim of ticket fraud
If you have made a payment: Inform your bank as soon as possible, they can help you prevent any further losses. Monitor your bank statements regularly for any unusual activity.
Identity theft: If you have shared personal or financial information, and suspect your identity may have been stolen, you can check your credit file quickly and easily online. You should do this every few months anyway, using a reputable service provider and follow up on any unexpected or suspicious results. You can also sign up for Cifas services which can help to protect you against fraud.
You could be targeted again: Fraudsters sometimes re-establish contact with previous victims claiming that they can help them recover lost money, this is just a secondary scam. Hang up on any callers that claim they can get your money back for you.
How to report it
Report it to us online or call 0300 123 2040.
