With the summer concert season fast approaching, police are reminding festival-goers not to fall prey to ticket scams. Criminals take advantage of demand by setting up fake websites offering tickets for events that are already sold out, or where tickets have not officially gone on sale yet. There were 226 victims of online ticketing fraud in Greater Manchester in the 2013-14 financial year, resulting in more than £208,000 being stolen. Detective Chief Inspector Gareth Davies of GMP’s Economic Crime Unit said: “If you love music, sport or any other live event, it’s often difficult to obtain tickets from an official source. Perhaps you’ve left it too late, or maybe they’re too expensive and you think you might be able to get them cheaper elsewhere. “The temptation is always to start searching online, but buying from unofficial sources often results in people receiving fake tickets, or even none at all. That is why we always advise purchasing from official suppliers, to avoid the crushing disappointment that comes when you realise you won’t be going to that special gig or match after all. “I want to reassure the public that our resources are focused on those fraudsters who are causing the most harm, and we regularly run investigations that result in significant sentences for offenders, as well as the recovery of criminally obtained funds.” Among the events taking place in Manchester this summer is the Parklife Weekender, which will be held on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 June at Heaton Park. The music festival has now sold out, and officers are collaborating with organisers to ensure it runs smoothly. Police are also sending out a series of tweets this week on how to avoid ticket scams, and you can follow these at #TicketFraud Advice includes checking with event organisers to see how and when tickets are being distributed, always reading the terms and conditions on websites, and checking that the ticket supplier has a landline in this country and a proper address, rather than a PO Box. Payment pages on websites should be secure, with a padlock symbol and ‘https’ in the address bar, and tickets should be paid for by credit card, as issuers are jointly liable if the price of a single ticket is more than £100. See the video link below for more tips, or go to: actionfraud.police.uk/fraud-az-ticket-scam If you are a victim of a ticketing scam, report the matter to Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040
Posted on: Fri, 16 May 2014 11:42:42 +0000