Ticketing scams

The Set-Up

You’re desperately seeking tickets to a once-in-a-lifetime, must-see event.

The Hook

The internet is awash with sites offering you a good deal on tickets to the event.

The Sting

But the internet has also got untraceable scammers hiding behind legitimate-looking websites ready to trick you.

How ticketing scams work

Scammers spend a lot of their time making it difficult for you to spot a fake website, and this applies to websites offering tickets to events around the world. It’s relatively easy to set up a real-looking website which has a name similar to a genuine website.

Before you buy a ticket ask yourself

• Does the offer sound too good to be true?
• Are they selling tickets to events that haven't gone on sale yet?
• Are they guaranteeing you tickets to events that have been sold out for months?
• What do you know about the website?
• What do you know about the company you’re buying from?
• Where is their office?
• Companies should give you the full geographic address where their business is, not just a PO Box number.
• Do they have a landline number and does this number work?

 Be on your guard if they only give you an email address or mobile number.

Buying over the Internet

When booking online check that the payment pages are secure by looking for a padlock symbol or making sure the website address begins with an ‘https’ prefix.

More information on shopping online.

Protect yourself from ticketing scams

• Be aware of how and when tickets for the event are being distributed by checking with the event organiser, promoter or venue where the event will be held.
• What type of seat/ticket are you buying? Ask for details.
• What is the face value of the ticket? How much is the ticket being sold for and are there any additional charges?
• When will the ticket be dispatched and how will you be notified?
• What happens if things go wrong? What is the company’s policy on refunds?

Help protect others from ticketing scams

If you have been the target of any kind of ticketing scam, please share your story with us. We will treat your report in the strictest confidence and remove your personal details before posting your story on our site.

Report your scam story to us.