Police issue warning as ticket scams surge in Scotland

More than 300 people in Scotland reported being the victims of online ticket scams for major events in the first nine months of the year, according to new figures from Police Scotland.

They said almost two-thirds of reported incidents related to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour concerts at Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium in June.

The Police Scotland report showed women between 18 and 24 were most at risk from this type of fraud.

The force urged people to stay 'vigilant'.

Police Scotland said these frauds were not connected to the artists, venues, promoters or reputable ticket sale sites.

They said they took place on social media and online marketplaces and involved individuals and groups looking to exploit fans for financial gain.

Susan Browne, from Motherwell, told BBC Scotland she was so desperate to get tickets for her 15-year-old son Saul that she almost got scammed - but “red flags” led to her pulling out of the deal at the last minute.

“Everybody wants to think they wouldn’t fall for a scam,” she said.

“We all like to think we are smarter than that but the concert was imminent and it meant I was less diligent than I usually would have been.”

She said a friend had contacted her to say a woman on a Facebook group had four tickets she was selling for £155 each.

“At first I was suspicious,” Susan said but her friend reassured her that it was a closed group and she had noticed the woman contributing before.

Susan got the woman’s phone number and messaged her about the tickets.

She initially asked if she could buy just two tickets but the seller ignored her and went straight into setting out the details of payment.

Susan asked for the woman to send her a request for the money so she would have some way to trace her but the seller came back with very detailed payment instructions, telling her how to reference the money.

“I think at that stage it would have been really daft for me to continue, there were so many red flags,” Susan said.

When she told her son about it, he said: “Mum, it was obviously a scam.”

“I would have taken a much more considered approach to spending that amount of money if we weren’t all caught up in the hype and desperation to get the tickets,” Susan said.

Eventually, Susan and Saul did get tickets via a recognised ticket resale site, although she admits she had to pay well “over the odds”.

“The concert was amazing though,” she said.

Insp Alasdair Penny, from Police Scotland's Cybercrime Harm Prevention unit, believes that online ticket scams are “underreported and the true figure will be much higher”.

He said: “Our message is: be vigilant. If a price or offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.

“Before purchasing, carefully review the ticket details for authenticity. Check for accurate event information, including the date, time, and venue. Pay attention to the seating section or assigned seats, which can indicate fraudulent tickets.

“Buy from legitimate sources, check bank details provided and use secure payment methods. Avoid paying with cash, wire transfers, or unsecured payment methods."