Action Fraud urge those planning to buy tickets or attend this summer’s events and concerts to stay vigilant to criminals, with the total combined loss increasing nearly 50% from 2023 to £9.7 million in 2024.
Data revealed there was a rise in both ticket fraud reporting and financial losses in 2024 from 2023. The combined reported financial loss for 2023 was £6,694,955, which went up by 47 per cent in 2024 to £9,794,034. Ticket fraud reporting also revealed there was a total of 9,826 ticket fraud reports in 2024, an 11 per cent increase from 8,719 reports in 2023.
Action Fraud, the national fraud and cybercrime reporting service, has launched a ticket fraud awareness campaign ahead of the summer, urging people to stay alert for criminals who are trying to sell tickets online or on social media for top events and sold-out concerts.
The warning comes as reporting insights revealed June and July had the highest levels of reporting, with 1,067 reports of ticket fraud in June and 887 in July.
How to protect yourself from ticket fraud:
- Only buy tickets from the venue’s box office, official promoter or agent, or a well-known ticketing website.
- Avoid paying for tickets by bank transfer, especially if buying from someone unknown. Using a credit card gives you a better chance of recovering the money if you become a victim of fraud.
- 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).
- Be wary of unsolicited emails, texts or adverts offering unbelievably good deals on tickets.
- Is the vendor a member of 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.
If you receive a suspicious email, report it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS) at [email protected]. For more advice on how to stay secure online, please visit cyberaware.gov.uk.
Find out how to protect yourself from fraud: https://stopthinkfraud.campaign.gov.uk
If you have been a victim of fraud, report it at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, report it to Police Scotland on 101.
