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Oasis tickets are about to go on sale, prompting a frenzied rush as fans look to buy what might be the hottest tickets in years.
But that frenzy will be matched by another, more malicious, one: scammers and operators of bots are no doubt already mobilising to ensure that they can use the interest in the tickets to steal money and snap up tickets.
It can make buying a ticket feel like a constant battle against cyber criminals and others who are looking to exploit the interest for their own gain.
But there are some steps that fans can take to try and avoid getting ripped off either by scammers who don’t have tickets at all, or those using bots to snap up as many as possible.
In all cases, the main advice is relatively simple: use official websites, and pay through them. That will help avoid any scams and frauds that are trying to trick people into buying fake tickets, as well as helping limit the amount that touts who really are buying tickets are able to gain for their tickets.
“Whenever there is high demand for music concerts or gigs, invariably unscrupulous fraudsters are there to take advantage,” said Tony Neate, chief executive at Get Safe Online. “When Oasis tickets launch for sale this weekend, don’t get caught out.
“Stick to official websites and platforms when buying the tickets - and only make payments via the platform you are using. Do not pay by bank transfer. And remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Even those official-looking websites might not be real: in previous cases, scammers have set up fake websites that look like those run by real ticket-selling companies. It is best not only to check the branding of the site but also the technical hints that it is the real one: look to ensure that the URL is correct, that it is using HTTPS, and that your browser shows the padlock that indicates it is safe.
Most scammers work through more straightforward means, however. More than 90 per cent of cases of ticket fraud start with fake adverts and posts on Facebook, according to research from Lloyds Bank.
That same research showed a huge search in the number of scams happening, with reports up 158 per cent last summer compared with the period a year earlier. That might be because of high-profile tours – and the reduction in concerts owing to Covid – but it still meant vast sums of money lost, with scammers losing an average of £133.
Those scams tend to follow relatively similar patterns. They will start with a fake post on social media, which offers tickets, often with an emotive story about why they can no longer be used; victims will then be told to make their payment, through a bank transfer, and the scammers then disappear or sometimes might send a fake ticket.
That fraud tends to surge when tickets go on sale as well as when an event approaches, Lloyds noted.
But buying a legitimate ticket will also mean fighting through a vast array of bots that are racing to buy them and sell them on secondary markets.
They are much harder to avoid, even though companies have made attempts to use technology to stop them. It is hard to distinguish bots from real buyers, and the technology to flood ticket sites with requests is relatively cheaply available.
There are some tricks people can use to try and avoid them, though. The main thing is to ensure that everything is set up ready: pre-register for the tickets, ensure that all of the required information is in your account, and add your card details.
It is also useful to have a reliable and fast internet connection, with Ticketmaster warning users against using public WiFi, which might drop out. Losing that connection could mean being forced to the back of the queue.
Fans will also be put in a – probably very large – queue when tickets go on sale on Saturday morning. It is important not to refresh: it will move ahead automatically, and refreshing could mean going right to the back of the queue.
If you do miss out, it might be time to check those secondary markets – though with the above caveats about ensuring that is actually what you are doing. Oasis has said it is working with Ticketmaster and reseller Twickets to sell tickets on, and that they will not be allowed to go for more than the original purchase price.
