New research released by Get Safe Online has found that London stands out as a ticket scam hotspot, revealing that 25% of Londoners have been scammed by ticket resellers in the past year.
To mark Safer Internet Day, Get Safe Online has launched new research by former cybercrime police officer Nick Hawe to help fans stay out of scam troubles ahead of a jam-packed year of live events, including Harry Styles’ and BTS’ tours, and the much-anticipated World Cup.
The research, released today, has found that a worrying majority of UK fans cannot tell a genuine ticket from a fake one on social media.
It found that 55% of Brits could not confidently determine whether a ticket listing on social media is genuine.
26% also admitted to buying tickets on social media because they seemed cheap, but later turned out to be fake, losing an average of £258.
The Government announced a ban on ticket resales on November 19th last year, introducing new rules that make it illegal to resell tickets for live events at a price above the original cost.
The plans came after increased rates of ticket touting. Touts buy large volumes of tickets online, usually using bots, before relisting them at extremely inflated prices to gain profit. Oasis’ Live 2025 Tour saw some tickets being sold for over £4,000.
Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher perform together at their reunion concert. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt, AP)
Government analysis suggested that these measures could save sports, music, and entertainment fans around £112 million annually, with nearly one million tickets being bought from primary sellers.
British music artists, including Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Sam Fender, Radiohead, and The Cure, all called on Keir Starmer to honour his Labour manifesto promise to protect fans.
Dua Lipa performs during the first weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. (Photo by Jack Plunkett, AP)
Although the plans were made to keep fans safe from scams, cyber safety experts warn that the ban could do the opposite.
Nick Hawe said:
“Ahead of a stellar year of live events it’s alarming to see that 55% of Brits aren’t able to spot a ticket scam. To make this worse, the Government is proposing the introduction of price caps on resale tickets exposing even more fans to fraud on social media. This proposal will limit competition pushing fans towards social media platforms where scams are rife. Primary ticketing makes up 94% of the UK ticketing market – resale accounts for just 6%. Instead of focusing on the 6%, the government should ensure fans have access to safe, regulated alternatives that help protect them from being scammed.”
Submitted Article
Headline
Short Headline
Standfirst
Published Article
HeadlineA quarter of Londoners have been scammed in the past year
Short HeadlineLondoners fall victim to ticket touters
StandfirstCybercrime Expert warns that the government's ticket resale price caps could make scams even worse
New research released by Get Safe Online has found that London stands out as a ticket scam hotspot, revealing that 25% of Londoners have been scammed by ticket resellers in the past year.
To mark Safer Internet Day, Get Safe Online has launched new research by former cybercrime police officer Nick Hawe to help fans stay out of scam troubles ahead of a jam-packed year of live events, including Harry Styles’ and BTS’ tours, and the much-anticipated World Cup.
The research, released today, has found that a worrying majority of UK fans cannot tell a genuine ticket from a fake one on social media.
It found that 55% of Brits could not confidently determine whether a ticket listing on social media is genuine.
26% also admitted to buying tickets on social media because they seemed cheap, but later turned out to be fake, losing an average of £258.
The Government announced a ban on ticket resales on November 19th last year, introducing new rules that make it illegal to resell tickets for live events at a price above the original cost.
The plans came after increased rates of ticket touting. Touts buy large volumes of tickets online, usually using bots, before relisting them at extremely inflated prices to gain profit. Oasis’ Live 2025 Tour saw some tickets being sold for over £4,000.
Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher perform together at their reunion concert. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt, AP)
Government analysis suggested that these measures could save sports, music, and entertainment fans around £112 million annually, with nearly one million tickets being bought from primary sellers.
British music artists, including Dua Lipa, Coldplay, Sam Fender, Radiohead, and The Cure, all called on Keir Starmer to honour his Labour manifesto promise to protect fans.
Dua Lipa performs during the first weekend of the Austin City Limits Music Festival. (Photo by Jack Plunkett, AP)
Although the plans were made to keep fans safe from scams, cyber safety experts warn that the ban could do the opposite.
Nick Hawe said:
“Ahead of a stellar year of live events it’s alarming to see that 55% of Brits aren’t able to spot a ticket scam. To make this worse, the Government is proposing the introduction of price caps on resale tickets exposing even more fans to fraud on social media. This proposal will limit competition pushing fans towards social media platforms where scams are rife. Primary ticketing makes up 94% of the UK ticketing market – resale accounts for just 6%. Instead of focusing on the 6%, the government should ensure fans have access to safe, regulated alternatives that help protect them from being scammed.”
