25.03.2025 - The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) regularly receives reports of ticket fraud, and with ticket sales for this year’s open-air season and the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest about to begin, the number of scams is likely to increase in the coming weeks. Scammers take advantage of the fact that demand for tickets outstrips supply: they resell tickets at inflated prices, sell counterfeit tickets and put fake ads on the internet. In an unusual and frequently reported scam, they try to lure their victims to a fake website. Exercise caution and don’t let scammers fool you.
As the temperatures rise, open-air festivals are returning to Switzerland. The festival season offers many attractive opportunities for fraudsters, including ticket scalping, selling counterfeit tickets and posting misleading online advertisements. Organisers are taking steps to increase security, such as selling personalised tickets and official resale websites. But with tickets in short supply and people rushing to get festival tickets at the last minute, scammers still find opportunities.
The classic scam
When tickets are officially sold out, dubious offers begin to pop up, specifically targeting disappointed fans. On Facebook and other social networking sites, newly created or fake profiles offer what appear to be great deals for specific events.
In the classic scam, the supposed seller claims to have a great ticket and tries to gain the buyer’s trust with a screenshot that suggests the ticket exists. Eager to attend the event, the buyer often pays quickly using a mobile payment service. Unfortunately, they later find out that the ticket does not exist and that the screenshot was fake. There is always an increased risk when buying tickets outside the official apps or the official website of the event organiser.
A scam against sellers
People looking to resell their festival tickets can also fall victim to scammers. We received a report of a case where someone put their ticket up for sale on Instagram. Shortly afterwards, they were contacted by an interested buyer who asked them to prove that the ticket was real. The seller, acting in good faith, sent a photo of the ticket, which included the QR code. The buyer then disappeared without a trace without paying, likely planning to use the QR code for their own purposes. The duped seller informed the event organiser, who cancelled the ticket, rendering it useless to the scammer.
A clever scam
In a more sophisticated and commonly reported form of ticket fraud, scammers use dating apps to find their victims. They pose as friendly, attractive people and quickly establish an emotional connection with their target. Within a short space of time, they suggest meeting for a concert or theatre performance and send a link to a supposed ticket shop. At first glance, the professionally designed website looks legitimate. But in reality, it is a fake. A look at the official website quickly reveals that the event in question does not really exist.
Victims of this scam are asked to reserve tickets for a particular performance – a process that involves providing personal information such as their name and address. During the supposed payment process, credit card details are requested, which is what the scammers are really after. If the scam is successful, the criminals immediately use the stolen credit card details to make illegal charges.
Recommendations
Fortunately, there are things you can do to avoid falling for scams when reselling tickets online:
- Only buy tickets through official or trustworthy channels. Choose a ticket outlet that is authorised by the event organisers (e.g. the official website, authorised ticket sellers, official ticket exchanges). Do not buy or sell tickets on the grey market.
- Be suspicious of offers that seem too good to be true or that put you under time pressure. If you see last-minute tickets being offered at or below cost for a sold-out event, or if a seller/buyer pushes you to agree to a purchase immediately, red flags should be raised. If you suspect you are dealing with a scammer, stop the transaction immediately.
- Never give out sensitive information. Do not provide online buyers or sellers with a copy of your ID or passport, or any bank details other than those required by the payment service. You do not need to show any personal documents to buy a legitimate ticket. If you have inadvertently given your ID to a scammer, report it to your local ID authority as soon as possible.
- Choose payment options that are secure and traceable, preferably integrated with the official event website or that offer some form of protection (e.g. some services withhold funds until receipt of the ticket is confirmed). If you do not receive the ticket you paid for, keep all evidence (e.g. screenshots, receipts) and contact the cantonal police.
- If you see a suspicious ad or have been a victim of a scam, report it to the website (e.g. classifieds platform, Facebook group).
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Last modification 25.03.2025
