How to spot and avoid ticket scams

Many music fans were left looking back in anger after failing to get Oasis tickets, and there are warnings that scammers may start targeting those who missed out.

The Oasis reunion tour prompted a "frenzied rush" for tickets, said The Independent, but this has given rise to another "more malicious" frenzy from bots and scammers.

The warning comes after Lloyds Banking Group reported that more than 600 customers lost an average of £332 to scammers selling fake Taylor Swift tickets.

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Scammers are becoming "increasingly sophisticated", said MoneyWeek, and target all sorts of events from sport to music. But there are ways to avoid scams and identify the real from the fake.

Fake tickets and websites

Scammers may target fans with fake websites, emails or social media posts that offer digitally altered "tickets at discounted prices, or access at inflated prices", said Good Housekeeping, with payment taken up front before the seller disappears and you are left "out of pocket".

Spam sites may have "lots of other letters and numbers" around their web address, added the magazine website. 

That makes it important to "do your research" on websites selling tickets, said UK Finance, and check reviews from "trusted sources". 

Check the payment page is secure, said ActionFraud, "by looking for a padlock symbol in the address bar", and ensuring that the web address starts with https.

Pressure tactics

Scammers know that people are "less likely to check" whether something is genuine if they are under pressure, added Good Housekeeping, so it's vital to "not let yourself be rushed into anything" and to "take your time and protect your money".

One way to protect yourself is to pay by credit card. If paying by PayPal, avoid the friends and family service, said Lloyds Bank, as "you won't get any payment protection if you pay this way".

Can you trust secondary sellers?

Some events may allow tickets to be sold only through certain websites.

For example, tickets for the highly anticipated Oasis reunion tour were available only on Ticketmaster and SeeTickets.

Despite the band saying tickets can be resold only at face value on Twickets, they have appeared on sale at "inflated prices" on platforms such as Viagogo, said the London Evening Standard. The platform said that this is a "legal" practice, added the newspaper.

But if an event has banned resale, said Money.co.uk, you may not be allowed entry, "even if your ticket is legitimate".

If you are happy to pay a high price and do spot a company selling tickets "out of the blue", added MoneyWeek, check that it is a member of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR), a government-approved sales body which has a code of practice to ensure buyers "don't get scammed".