Renfrewshire Council

With the cost of living continuing to rise, buying festival and gig tickets can feel like a special treat. Before you make that ticket purchase, it's important you're aware of the growing number of scams looking to target your hard-earned cash.  

Here are my top 10 tips for buying tickets safely: 

1. Be careful where you purchase tickets. Try to buy from the venue's box office, promoter, sports club, official agent or reputable ticket exchange sites. Tickets advertised in other places like auction sites, social media or fan forums may be fake or non-existent. It doesn't matter how authentic the seller appears to be, or whether they are advertising tickets at prices below, above or at face value, it's important to be vigilant. 
2. Always check the sellers' privacy and returns policies before you buy. 
3. Don't be tempted to click on social media, text or email links or attachments offering tickets, as they could easily link to fraudulent or malware sites. 
4. Before buying online, check that the website is genuine by going to the Free Website Scam Checker - Check a website by Get Safe Online  and enter the website address. 
5. Check the website is secure by looking for 'https' and a locked padlock in the address bar. 
6. In terms of payment methods, credit cards offer the best payment protection.  
7. Avoid paying for tickets by bank transfer, the responsibly lies solely with you and could easily result in you losing your money. 
8. Double-check all details of your purchase before confirming payment. 
9. Make sure to log out when you've completed the transaction. 
10. Keep receipts until after the event. 

Remember that ticket fraud is a crime! If you think you've been a victim of ticket fraud, report it to Police Scotland on 101. 

Don't forget to complete the mandatory cyber security course on iLearn to make sure you are ready to spot a scam. The module, RenTalks: How to spot a phish, teaches you how to identify cyber scams and handle them safely with confidence. Go to iLearn now. 

Thanks,

Carol

Published on Friday 28 April