Buying tickets for all kinds of events and shows we already know that it can be chaos. Digital queues, collapses… and you are left without going to a concert. This situation has made cybercriminals look at this desperation as an opportunity to scam potential victims.
If you want to buy tickets online, you must do it in the safest way possible and follow a series of tips to avoid scams.
Online ticket sales scams
ESET, one of the most important companies in cybersecurity, has analyzed how the number of scams related to all kinds of techniques has increased. The trend for tickets to be increasingly digital, with electronic tickets in pkpass format or derivatives, has only aggravated the problem for those who want to buy tickets online.
“Fans are increasingly desperate to get a ticket to their favorite artist’s concert, presenting a lucrative opportunity for scammers. An early summer Google search for tickets to major festivals in 2022 led to a number of highly questionable links. Ads promising coveted tickets could be seen as a first step, where the scammer tries to convince the victim to click on the ad which will redirect them to a fraudulent marketplace. But often these scams are obvious, they have exaggerated prices and we must learn to recognize them to avoid them”, says Josep Albors, Director of Research and Awareness at ESET Spain.
The big problem is that cybercriminals can sell the same ticket multiple times on different online platforms without being suspected and evade capture by disconnecting their fake accounts. “The only time victims would realize they’ve been scammed is when they arrive at the venue and if they’re not the first to enter, the entrance won’t work.”
Avoid these types of scams
ESET recommends that you never photograph them or post them on the Internet as proof of their existence. Many people believe that simply scribbling or putting a line over the number or QR/barcode will deter scammers, but this may not have the desired effect.
“It’s incredibly easy to recreate the displayed code or number and produce a copy. There are even apps and online services that can convert a barcode into the corresponding number and vice versa.”
The best advice is still to research the seller you are buying from, and try to avoid online second-hand markets, especially in the case of very popular concerts, festivals or events. It can be really hard to keep track of these fake sellers, especially when they receive part or all of the payment and disappear without a trace.
