Bank of Ireland advises music fans that its ‘vital’ to look out for ticket scams

 

With Liam Gallagher and Noah Kahan headlining the upcoming series of Belfast Vital concerts and with a host of festivals underway, Bank of Ireland is warning consumers to be aware of potential ticket scammers.

Scammers try to lure consumers by offering them tickets, often through a social media post or online advert. They may focus on popular sold-out gigs, and consumers are asked to pay directly, sending money from their bank account to another via bank transfer, which provides little protection. Once the payment is transferred, the seller usually cuts all contact, and the ticket never arrives.

If hit by a scam, the advice for consumers is to act quickly. Be wary of deals that are too good to be true so you ‘don’t look back in anger’.

Highlighting these ticket scams, Allison Ewing, UK Fraud Customer Experience Manager at Bank of Ireland, said: “With a number of high profile concerts and summer festivals kicking off, it’s important that music fans are alert to fraud.

“At times like this, fraudsters are counting on people being so excited to get to see their favourite artist play that they ignore the warning signs and take a chance on buying a ticket even if it sounds too good to be true. Never, ever take that chance. Our advice when you are buying online is to only buy items from reputable sites and always remember to Stop, Think and Check. Be suspicious and keep your guard up.”

“If you find yourself falling for a ticket scam, act quickly and contact your bank immediately so they can try to stop the payment.”

What to look out for:

• Selling tickets for sold-out gigs or for prices which are too good to be true.
• The seller is looking for a quick sale.
• Seller doesn’t give you the opportunity to see the ticket in person.
• You feel pressured to make a quick decision.
• Adverts or messages that pop up on your social media (fraudsters can pay the social media companies to have their ads in front of you).

What to do:

If you think you’ve been the target of a scam, contact your bank immediately so that the bank can try to take action to stop a fraud in progress and potentially recover funds.
Bank of Ireland customers can call the Fraud Team 24/7, on the Freephone line 0800 121 7790.