Published
Tue, Nov 24, 2015, 15:38
- The police stats apply to nearly 3,000 cases that were reported between May and October.
UK sports and music fans have collectively lost £1.2 million the past six months to ticket fraud.
The police figures, released this week, apply to nearly 3000 cases that were reported between May and October 2015. Action Fraud, which released the report, said the real statistic was likely much higher, as many people don't report cases of ticket fraud. They said: "Reported ticketing fraud losses run into millions of pounds, but the reality is the true scale of the problem is likely to be much greater. We would urge anyone who loses money to a ticketing fraud to report to Action Fraud so we can understand the true nature and scale of the problem and police forces can track down those most responsible."
Speaking to BBC, Andy Fyfe, the detective chief inspector for City Of London Police, said: "When people discover they have fallen victim to a fraud—be it through purchasing tickets that either don't exist or turn out to be counterfeit—it can be a devastating experience. The key to making sure you don't fall victim to this crime is to only use authorised sellers and if you have any doubts about the website, check out the reviews online. When it comes to making a purchase always use a payment card and never transfer the funds directly into another bank account."
In response to the statistics, Society Of Ticket Agents & Retailers (STAR) has started a campaign called #lookfortheSTAR to raise awareness of its "kitestamp," a sign that identifies that a ticket sale site adheres to its code of conduct. STAR CEO Jonathan Brown told CMU: "Customers deserve clear information about where they can buy tickets safely. STAR recognises that the UK ticketing industry has rapidly changed in recent years and today's consumers expect greater levels of choice and protection. They need to know how and where they can buy tickets safely, whether they choose to buy them from the primary or secondary sectors. To increase clarity for ticket buyers, STAR will therefore develop standards of best practice to which we hope resale businesses that take consumer protection seriously will subscribe."
Earlier this year the UK government has agreed to back new legislation that helps protect secondary ticket buyers from fraud. In 2014 Resident Advisor started its own ticket resale service, a fan-to-fan exchange that aims to eliminate touting and provide a secure way for music lovers to buy unwanted tickets to sold-out events.