(Image taken from The Guardian)
Sport fans are warned by Internet Security Expert not to post picture of their tickets on Facebook and other social media sites.
Criminal increasingly made use of social media for online fraud ticket which caused 55% leapt in 2015. Fans are putting themselves on risks by sharing picture of their tickets online which could possibly used by scammers to create fakes and put it on sale.
In 2015, estimated 5.2 millions pounds were lost to ticket fraud which increased by 3.35 millions pounds from 2013. However, the figure is only accounted to actual reported crimes. Some might felt embarrassed to file the case while some decided to write off the loss. A quarter of the lost came from sporting events such as the Rugby World Cup and Premier League Football matches
Scammers copied the barcode which can be found on ticket to enter event while genuine holder might only realized that someone had used it to get in.
AXS, the in-house booking service for London’s O2 arena, has warned customers that “sharing images of your tickets via social media can lead to others being able to gain access with your ticket”. The O2 arena offered this advice: “If you want to post a photo of your ticket to let your friends know you’re going, just keep your hand over the barcode so it can’t be read.”
Get Safe Online offers the following tips:
• Buy tickets only from the venue box office, promoter, official agent or reputable ticket exchange sites
• Remember that paying by credit card offers greater protection than other methods in terms of fraud, guarantees and non-delivery
• Before entering payment card details on a website, ensure the link is secure. There should be a padlock symbol in the browser window frame, which appears when you attempt to log in or register. The web address should begin with “https://”. And, if using the latest version of your browser, the address bar or the name of the site owner will turn green
• If you buy tickets from an individual (for example, on eBay), never transfer the money directly into their bank account. Use a secure payment site such as PayPal
