Police warning over online fake football and music festival tickets scam

Action Fraud data provided to South Yorkshire Police has shown that a number of local residents have fallen victim to ticket fraud after buying tickets online, which turned out to be fake.

DC Gary Henshaw, from the force's Fraud Coordination Team, said: "In the reports, the victim buys flight tickets or tickets to an event, such as a festival or football game, through a website or via a social media post which they believe to be legitimate.

“The victim goes on to make advance payment for the tickets, and it’s only when the tickets either don’t arrive or turn out to be fake that they realise they’ve been duped.

DC Henshaw added: "We know that many people are buying tickets online at the moment for Christmas presents and some can be expensive, so we encourage people to take extra care when making purchases.

“To avoid disappointment, only buy tickets from the venue directly, through an official agent, or via a well-known and reputable ticket website. Don’t be fooled by offers on secondary ticketing websites or social media, as this is often where criminals will advertise fake tickets to popular and sold-out events. Remember, if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

If you think you have been a victim of ticket fraud, get in touch with Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or report it online at actionfraud.police.uk.