Perhaps this is an exaggeration, but ticketing scams are wreaking havoc in the live events sector. With overinflated prices and counterfeit tickets making secondary market purchases a minefield of potential disasters, fans are being duped, and event organizers are left attempting to pick up the pieces of something out of their control.
How big is the problem?
This is a global problem, with news reports of ticketing scams flooding the media from all over the world, and the challenges cannot be understated. Let’s look at a few examples:
According to a September 2022 story in Cyber Magazine, “£6.2 million has been lost to ticket fraud, with the 20 to 29 age bracket being the most affected.” There have been over 7.3k reports of ticket fraud across the country, with August 2022 having the largest number of reports, totalling 764 – tripling from the beginning of 2022.” As a result, the Irish police have initiated a campaign to combat ticket fraud.
In April 2023, Lloyd’s Banking Group produced a report indicating that the number of ticket buyers duped during the prior year increased by 529%, resulting in an average loss of £110. This was aimed at well-known performers such as Harry Styles, Lewis Capaldi, Coldplay, and Calvin Harris. This competition is not only open to the famous names. The number of festival-related scams increased by 128% over the previous year.
Sarah, a music enthusiast, was thrilled to see her favorite band perform at a nearby music festival. She searched online for tickets and found what seemed like a great deal from a reseller on a popular classifieds website. Excitedly, she purchased the tickets, only to arrive at the festival and find out they were counterfeit. Sarah lost hundreds of dollars and missed out on seeing the band she loved.
John was excited to attend a comic convention and had been looking forward to meeting his favorite artists and actors. He found someone selling VIP passes at a discounted price online and jumped at the opportunity. When he arrived at the convention center, he was devastated to learn that the passes were counterfeit. John not only lost the money he spent on the passes but also missed out on the chance to meet his idols.
A few lessons learned from these stories:
- Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true. If the price is significantly lower than other listings, it’s likely a scam.
- Only purchase tickets from official sources or reputable resellers. Don’t trust unfamiliar websites or social media sellers.
- Never pay for tickets through insecure methods like money transfers or mobile payment apps, especially to individuals you don’t know.
- Use a credit card for ticket purchases. Credit cards offer better fraud protection than debit cards or cash.
By sharing these stories and learning from the experiences of others, we can all be more cautious and avoid falling victim to ticketing scams. Remember, if something seems suspicious, it probably is. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
