SAM ROWLANDS, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, is backing a call to raise awareness of scams when buying tickets for concerts and events this Summer.
Mr Rowlands has added his voice to warnings from North Wales Police who are highlighting the increase in ticket fraud.
Mr Rowlands said: “These days more than ever we all have to be on the lookout for scammers and be especially aware when booking tickets for events or concerts.
“It is very sad to hear that this sort of crime has increased and is especially high in the Summer months and I would urge everyone to be on their guard.”
The warning comes from North Wales Police who are reminding us all to watch out for ticket fraud ahead of top events and concerts this Summer
Total combined losses to this type of fraud increased nearly 50% last year to £9.7 million, with 9,826 reports of ticket fraud made to Action Fraud.
Reports in 2024 were at their highest during June and July with 1,067 reports made in June and 887 in July.
Top tips to protect yourself from ticket fraud include:
- Being wary of unsolicited emails, texts or adverts offering unbelievably good deals on tickets.
- Avoid paying for tickets by bank transfer, especially if buying from someone unknown. Using a credit card gives you a better chance of recovering the money if you become a victim of fraud.
- Only buy tickets from the venue’s box office, official promoter or agent, or a well-known ticketing website; is the vendor a member of STAR? If they are, the company has signed up to their strict governing standards. STAR also offers an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution service to help customers with outstanding complaints. For more information visit star.org.uk/buy_safe
- The password you use for your email account, as well as any other accounts you use to purchase tickets, should be different from all your other passwords. Use three random words to create a strong and memorable password and enable 2-step verification on your accounts (2SV).
