Police Scotland warns of rise in ticket fraud across the country

Police Scotland’s latest data indicates that over 300 individuals in Scotland reported falling victim to online ticket fraud targeting significant events during the initial nine months of the current year. The force noted that nearly two-thirds of these reported incidents were connected to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts held at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium in June. The Police Scotland report further revealed that women aged 18 to 24 faced the highest risk from this specific form of fraud. The police service advised the public to remain ‘vigilant’. Police Scotland clarified that these fraudulent activities bore no association with the artists, venues, promoters, or legitimate ticket sales platforms. Instead, they occurred on social media and through online marketplaces, perpetrated by individuals and groups seeking to exploit fans for monetary profit. Susan Browne, a resident of Motherwell, recounted to BBC Scotland her near-experience with a scam while attempting to secure tickets for her 15-year-old son, Saul, due to her desperation. However, “red flags” prompted her to withdraw from the transaction just before completion. She stated: “Everybody wants to think they wouldn’t fall for a scam. We all like to think we are smarter than that but the concert was imminent and it meant I was less diligent than I usually would have been.” Browne explained that a friend had informed her about a woman in a Facebook group who was offering four tickets for £155 each. Susan remarked: “At first I was suspicious,” but her friend provided reassurance, noting it was a closed group and that she had observed the woman’s prior participation. Susan obtained the woman’s phone number and initiated a message exchange regarding the tickets. Her initial inquiry about purchasing only two tickets was disregarded by the seller, who immediately proceeded to outline payment instructions. Susan requested that the woman send a money request to allow for traceability, but the seller responded with highly specific payment directions, including how to reference the funds. Susan commented: “I think at that stage it would have been really daft for me to continue, there were so many red flags.” Upon informing her son, he responded: “Mum, it was obviously a scam.” Susan reflected: “I would have taken a much more considered approach to spending that amount of money if we weren’t all caught up in the hype and desperation to get the tickets.” Ultimately, Susan and Saul successfully acquired tickets through a recognized ticket resale website, despite her acknowledgment of having to pay significantly “over the odds.” She concluded: “The concert was amazing though.” Inspector Alasdair Penny, affiliated with Police Scotland’s Cybercrime Harm Prevention unit, expressed his belief that online ticket scams are “underreported and the true figure will be much higher.” He advised: “Our message is: be vigilant. If a price or offer seems too good to be true, it probably is. Before purchasing, carefully review the ticket details for authenticity. Check for accurate event information, including the date, time, and venue. Pay attention to the seating section or assigned seats, which can indicate fraudulent tickets. Buy from legitimate sources, check bank details provided and use secure payment methods. Avoid paying with cash, wire transfers, or unsecured payment methods.” Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.