The Rising Cost of Ticket Scams and Four Tips to Avoid Them

If you’ve ever been the subject of a ticket scam, you won’t be surprised to learn that this week, we all found out that they’re costing UK consumers a ridiculous amount of cash. How can you avoid fouling foul of the scammers?

Kiran Trivedi blog readers, I bet that most of you out there have attended a concert or sports match at some point in your life?  There’s always one artist or team that we tend to get a little crazy over, and seeing them do their thing lends a little colour when our lives are at their most grey.

However, this enthusiasm has a dark under belly, and this is that it makes you vulnerable to ticket scammers; people who sell false tickets to unsuspecting consumers to rob them of their hard earned cash.

The Nation’s Rising Ticket Bill

News sources have now gone on to report that collectively, ticket scams are actually costing the nation millions a year. Specifically, the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) found that in 2013 alone, we frittered away £3.7 million on scams involving ticket fraudsters.

Furthermore, ACPO went on to reveal that there were 4,555 reports of ticket frauds last year and of these, 22 victims were conned out of a whopping £10,000 or more. If anything, this reminds us that ticket fraudsters are ambitious, and that it’s possible to loose far more than the price of tickets to the latest Cheryl Cole concert.

The BBC spoke to ACPO’s, national co-ordinator for economic crime, Commander Stephen Head, who argued that the problem is only getting worse. Head said "millions of pounds were lost last year and millions more could go the same way in 2014." He went on to further point out that "taking a punt on an unofficial seller, be it over the internet or face-to-face, is just not worth the risk."

Kiran Trivedi’s Top Four Tips to Catching a Ticket Fraudster.

Kiran Trivedi couldn’t agree more, you really need to be careful, and if you’ve got any doubts on how to catch a ticket fraudster in the act, here are my top four tips to help you along the way:

1. Research: I’ll say it again, do your research. If there’s any scam to be found, you’ll find out about it on the internet, there will be someone out there who has already been scammed and have a story to share.
   
2.  Secure Payment: If the seller is asking for an unsecure or unusual method of payment, chances are, they are a scammer.
   
3.  Official: If you can, stick to official sources for tickets. Don’t be the idiot who tries to score one last minute off the random selling tickets to spare outside the venue. If someone is doing this, chances are, they are a scammer.
   
4.  Compare: Compare the prices, if you are paying above board, you’ve just found yourself a fraudster!

At the end of the day, if you fall victim of a ticket scam, then you’ve just frittered away hard earned cash that could have been added to your weekly budget, and got absolutely nothing out of it! Always check before you buy.