Avoiding fraud just the ticket for North Wales residents

Every music and sports fan knows that tickets for gigs, festivals, big games and tournaments can often sell out very quickly. To avoid disappointment, people might turn to social media, online marketplaces or fan forums to look for tickets. They may get lucky, or they may get scammed, which is even more disappointing as not only do people miss out on tickets, but they also lose their hard-earned money.

That is why this April, North Wales Police and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) for North Wales are working with online safety experts, Get Safe Online, to highlight some of the threats when buying tickets online.

Get Safe Online is a leading source of unbiased, factual and easy-to-understand information on online safety in the UK and is a service commissioned by the OPCC and North Wales Police to share helpful information and advice with the people of the area.

PC Dewi Owen of North Wales Police’s Cyber Crime team commented: “Many people will be looking forward to attending summer events such as music festivals and sporting events this year. However, online criminals see this as an opportunity to target potential festival goers and sports fans with offers on fraudulent tickets.

According to Action Fraud over 7,000 people fell victim to ticket fraud in 2022 amounting to losses of over £6.7 million with the average victim losing hundreds of pounds each.

“We are therefore urging everyone across North Wales to be wary of online fraudsters selling fake or non-existent tickets for events. For example, with Taylor Swift tickets in high demand this summer and venues sold out across Europe, police across England and Wales have received a high number of reports about victims being targeted on online marketplaces by scammers who claim to be selling their Taylor Swift tickets as they can no longer attend.

“There will undoubtedly be high demand for some of the Euro 24 tickets this summer too. Tickets should only be paid for and transferred through official sellers and websites and wherever possible pay using a credit card, or payment services such as PayPal which give you a better chance of recovering the money if you become a victim of fraud. Avoid paying for tickets by bank transfer, especially if buying from someone unknown.

“Beware of unsolicited e-mails, messages or social media posts about unbelievably good deals on tickets, especially if the tickets are in high demand or sold out. If it seems too good to be true, then it probably is. If buying from a vendor, check that they are a member of 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: www.star.org.uk/buy_safe 

“If you’ve purchased tickets online you could lose your tickets if your e-mail or other online account gets hacked too. Protect your important online accounts with strong, long and unique passwords. Using 3 random words and joining them together is a good way to create a strong and memorable password. We also encourage everyone to turn on 2-step verification on their accounts as it adds an additional layer of security. If you want to learn more about how to do this then visit the Cyber Aware website Cyber Aware - NCSC.GOV.UK”

Tony Neate, CEO at Get Safe Online added: “In a ticket scam, the seller tells you they’ll post or email the tickets as soon as you’ve transferred the money to their bank account. But when you try to contact them after nothing’s arrived, they’ve disappeared into thin air. Chances are, dozens of other people have fallen victim to the same fraud. Don’t be caught out in this way and try to follow our top tips to ensure you buy tickets safely.”

Tips to avoid ticket fraud

However desperate you are to get into a gig, festival, or game, don’t buy tickets from anyone apart from the venue’s box office, sports club, promoter, official agent or reputable ticket exchange sites.

Consider that tickets advertised on any other source such as auction sites, social media and fan forums may be fake or non-existent, however authentic the seller may seem and whether they’re advertised below, above, or at, face value.

Don’t be tempted to click on social media, text or email links or attachments offering tickets, as they could link to fraudulent or malware sites.

Paying for tickets by bank transfer – however desperate you are to get hold of them – could result in you losing your money if it’s a fraud. The responsibility for losses lies with you, not anybody else, including your bank.

Check sellers’ privacy and returns policies.

Consider paying by credit card to get additional protection over other payment methods.

Double-check all details of your purchase before confirming payment.

Before buying online check that the page is genuine (carefully enter the address yourself, not from a link) and secure (‘https’ and a locked padlock), and log out when you’ve completed the transaction. You could check if a website is likely to be legitimate or fraudulent at  www.getsafeonline.org/checkawebsite.

Keep receipts until after the event.

If you are also searching and booking accommodation, follow our advice on doing so safely and securely.

For more free, practical advice on staying safe online visit www.getsafeonline.org.