Fake ticket website set up to raise awareness about fraud tricks thousands of customers
More than 21,000 people have reported falling victim to ticket fraud in the last three years
MORE than 1,500 people fell for a fake ticket sales website, which was set up to raise awareness of fraud.
Had the fake website been real, tens of thousands of pounds would have been handed over to fraudsters.
The bogus website, called Surfed Arts - an anagram for fraudsters - was created by Action Fraud to show how easy it is to become a victim of ticket scams.
More than 21,000 people have reported falling victim to ticket fraud in the last three years, with around £17million lost as a result.
Action Fraud used Facebook adverts to target people living in areas where bands or artists are due to play sell-out concerts, such as an Adele in London, Ed Sheeran in Manchester, Bruno Mars in Leeds and Coldplay in Cardiff.
Fans who clicked on the adverts were taken to the Surfed Arts website where they were immediately told that they were not able to buy tickets, and advised on how to protect themselves from falling victim to real ticket fraudsters in the future.
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Sites like Surfed Arts don’t have any tickets to sell in the first place; buyers pay for what looks like tickets to concerts, festivals or sporting events only for the seller to disappear with the victim’s money or send them counterfeited tickets that aren’t valid for entry.
The experiment follows a recent report that shows people are increasingly using other secondary tickets sources such as those found on social media in order to purchase tickets.
Singers including Adele and Ed Sheeran have waged war on ticket touts who resell tickets to their concerts for hugely inflated prices.
Controversial website Viagogo marked-up tickets for a cancer charity gig by Ed Sheeran, selling them for up to £5,000, when the ticket’s face value was between £50 and £110.
Prime Minster Theresa May also announced a crackdown on ticket resale sites last month, saying they cause problems for genuine fans.
How to protect yourself from ticket fraud
- ALWAYS buy tickets from an official event website, promoter of a reputable ticket site, such as Ticketmaster
- If you do buy it from a secondary ticket site, research the company by looking at forums, feedback and reviews
- If the price is too good to be true, it probably is
- Paying for tickets by credit card (if they cost more than £100) will offer you extra protection if the site turns out to be fake
- If you think you have been a victim of fraud, report it to Action Fraud or by calling 0300 123 2040.
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