Ticket fraud is a scam where criminals will try to sell fake, stolen, or tickets that don’t even exist.
Scammers will often try to take advantage of high demand events or discounted offers. There’s a number of ways they’ll try to trick you; fake websites, claiming to be re-selling high demand tickers or using social media. Hackers will also get into people’s social media accounts and use their profiles to try and sell tickets to the persons contacts. So if your friends suddenly get tickets to a sold out gig and offers them to you – watch out!
What to watch out for
You should only buy tickets from reputable companies or official venue sites. With this in mind here’s a few things you should look out for:
- Fake advertising on social media, messaging apps, email, text messages.
- Watch out for links to fake websites – learn how to spot a fake one here.
- A “fan” or “friend” reselling spare tickets; you should always be cautious of people you don’t know. Even if it’s a friend, you should talk about it in person or over a call to confirm they actually own tickets.
- If you’re asked for a payment via bank transfer or unconventional methods. This is a sign that you’re not getting tickets through official means and you’re not guaranteed to receive anything after paying.
If you get scammed…
Try not to panic! If you find out (or have a suspicion) the tickets you bought are fake, here’s some next steps to take:
- Don’t use the tickets. If you know they’re fake, don’t bother trying to chance it and use them. Besides the fact you won’t get in, it could make you look bad in the process.
- Talk to the venue staff. If you find out in-person, explain what has happened to the venue staff. If you know beforehand, then try to get in touch via phone or email to explain the situation.
- Give the tickets to the venue staff. Handing over the tickets to staff can help them keep an eye out for fraud in the future. It also helps them work out if it’s a growing problem targeted at their venue.
- Collect evidence of the scam. Keeping poof of sales, emails, or any other documents you have about the tickets is important and gives you the best chance at getting your money back.
- Start a fraud claim. Contact your bank and let them know that you’ve been scammed – they will see if it’s possible for your money to be returned.
How to report a scam
If you want to report a ticket scam, you can report it to Police Scotland using their online form or call the Police on 101.
You can also report a crime a number of other ways to Police Scotland… find out more here.
Get more support
There is also other organisations that can provide support when it comes to ticket fraud:
- Stop! Think Fraud is the UK government’s fraud advice service; learn tips on how to avoid fraud going forward as well as how to attempt to recover and secure accounts.
- Cyber and Fraud Hub has advice, tools (e.g. scam checkers), and a scam response hotline you can call: 0808 281 3580
If you’re looking for more information and support when it comes to scams, checkour Young Scot Safety hub.