Figures released by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau and Get Safe Online have shown online ticket fraud rose by 55% in the UK last year.
Over £5.2 million was lost as a direct result of ticket fraud in 2015 according to ActionFraud, with major sporting events accounting for the most incidents. Tickets for gigs and festivals represented 15% of all scams.
The study found those between 20-29 were the most likely to be at risk, as they’re the most likely to share images of tickets on their social networks. Police Commander Chris Greany said “The fact that people in their twenties are most likely to fall victim to ticket fraud is concerning as this is the age-group who are known to be most ‘cyber-savvy’.”
21% of the crimes were instigated via Facebook, with 6% originating from Twitter. 22% of all fake ticket purchases were made via Gumtree.
“We ask that people only buy tickets from official sites and when buying resold tickets ensure that they are buying from vendors who have been approved by the event organiser,” Greeny said in a statement.