A new alert has been issued to UK homes and you’d be wise not to ignore it.
Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook and users of other popular email providers are being urged to stay alert when checking their inboxes. The warning, which has come from the team at Action Fraud, has been issued after an explosion of scam messages that are using upcoming summer festivals and major pop concerts to trick unsuspecting users into handing over personal data and their hard-earned cash.
It’s a growing problem with more than 8,700 people reporting that they had been a victim of ticket fraud last year alone. Those tricked handed over more than £6.7 million to cyber crooks – that works out to an average loss of £772 per victim.
With Glastonbury, Reading and shows such as Taylor Swift ’s sell-out Eras tour on the horizon, scammers will be looking to cash in so it’s vital to be careful before clicking links or responding to emails that suggest tickets for these events are available.
“We all want to enjoy ticketed events this summer, but that doesn’t stop fraudsters from taking the fun out things we look forward to doing. Too many people are losing out to fraudulent activity or genuine looking phishing messages,” said Pauline Smith, Head of Action Fraud.
“Make sure you don’t get ticked off – recognise the signs of ticket fraud before getting caught out. Remember to be wary of unsolicited messages offering deals too good to be true.”
Action Fraud has confirmed that fraudsters are now creating fake ticket retail companies that look very convincing. Victims are then lured to websites via social media or phishing emails which often suggest that there’s a chance to buy tickets to popular events that are sold out.
Money is then handed over but no tickets ever arrive. Some sites also include nasty malware which can infect PCs.
If you are concerned about becoming the next victim of cyber crime, Action Fraud has issued some advice to help you stay safe. Following the guidelines below should help protect your accounts and stop you from losing money to scammers.
• Only buy tickets from the venue’s box office, the promoter, an official agent or a well-known and reputable ticket exchange site.
• Avoid paying for tickets by bank transfer, especially if buying from someone unknown. Credit card or payment services such as PayPal give you a better chance of recovering the money if you become a victim of fraud.
• The password you use for your email account, as well as any other accounts you use to purchase tickets, should be different from all your other passwords. Use three random words to create a strong and memorable password, and enable 2-step verification (2SV).
• Be wary of unsolicited emails, texts or adverts offering unbelievably good deals on tickets.
