Stay vigilant: protect yourself against ticket fraud this summer

Last year, people living in Wiltshire reportedly lost over £100,000 to ticket selling scams. £9.7 million was lost to ticket fraud in the UK in 2024 according to data from Action Fraud.

Action Fraud urge people planning to buy tickets for concerts or events this summer to stay vigilant to criminals, especially as insights suggest most reports of ticket fraud took place in June and July in 2024.

Advice from Action Fraud includes:
🎟️ Only buying tickets from the venue's box office, official promoter/agent, or verified ticket websites
🎟️ Using a credit card to purchase tickets and avoid paying for tickets by bank transfer, especially if buying from someone unknown. 
🎟️ Ensuring the password you use for your email account, as well as any other accounts you use to purchase tickets, is different from all your other passwords. Use three random words to create a strong and memorable password, and enable two-step verification (2SV).
🎟️ Being cautious of unsolicited emails, texts, or adverts offering unbelievably good deals on tickets.
🎟️ Checking if the vendor is 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.

Remember to report any suspicious emails to Action Fraud by forwarding them to report@phishing.gov.uk. For more advice to protect yourself against fraud, visit the UK Government's 'Stop! Think Fraud' website.