Dosh dilemma – Jane’s big night in ruins due to a fake ticket

Jane had been counting down the days to see her favourite band live. She found last-minute tickets on a resale site. At £180, they weren’t cheap but worth it.  

Or so she thought. 

The night of the gig, she dressed up, met her friends and headed to the venue. But when the ticket was scanned, it beeped.  

“Sorry love, this one’s already been used”, the ticket attendant told her.  

Jane’s heart sank. She realised she’d been scammed.  

She wants to know what she should do.  

We’re sorry to hear about your experience Jane, it must have been heartbreaking. If it’s any consolation, you’re not the only one to be scammed with a fake ticket.  

Ticket fraud is on the rise. In fact, Action Fraud has urged anyone planning to buy tickets for festivals or gigs this summer to stay vigilant, as the total combined loss in ticket scams increased by nearly 50% from 2023 to £9.7 million in 2024. 

How ticket fraud happens  

Scammers have a few common tricks:  

• selling the same ticket to multiple people 

• using fake websites that look real 

• disappearing after receiving payment 

What should you do if you’ve been sold a fake ticket? 

Don’t just shrug it off and accept the loss. Act fast:  

Report it  

• notify the site or platform you bought it from 

• report to Action Fraud, the UK’s national fraud reporting centre 

• contact the venue or event organiser, they may offer advice or alternatives 

Contact your bank  

• If you paid by debit or credit card, ask about a chargeback. It’s not a legal right, but your bank can try to recover your money. 

• If you paid by credit card and the ticket cost between £100 and £30,000, you may be protected under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. This makes your credit card provider jointly responsible. 

How to stay safe 

Stick to authorised sellers and trusted resale platforms that offer buyer protection, such as: 

• Ticketmaster 

• See Tickets 

• StubHub 

How to spot a ticket scam 

Fraudsters can be slick but here are the red flags to watch for: 

• They contact you first — always be the one to initiate a purchase. 

• Urgency and pressure tactics — scammers push for fast sales. 

• Social media offers — be cautious of ads that seem too good to be true. 

• Unsecure payments — avoid cash, gift cards and other unsecured payment methods.  

• Weird URLs — fake sites often look legit, but URLs may have odd spellings or characters. 

• Missing security features — real tickets usually have holograms, watermarks or serial numbers. 

• No contact details — reputable sellers provide an address, phone and email. Scammers rarely do. 

Jane’s story is an unfortunate but common reminder to stay alert. If this happens to you, don’t panic. Act quickly, know your rights and speak up. You might still recover your money and you’ll help protect others from falling for the same scam.