Take steps to avoid being victim of fraud
The shocking festive fraud has led police and trading standards chiefs from the region to urge locals to be careful when purchasing tickets online.
As the effect of coronavirus continues to decimate many planned social events, it has led others to become in high demand - providing an ideal opportunity for scammers to take advantage of unsuspecting victims.
The advice issued by Stirling and Clackmannanshire Trading Standards urges people to take their time and research any event or company before purchasing tickets, with key areas to establish such as the identity and location of the seller and how long their website and social media pages have been operating.
People are also being advised to only contact sellers through official websites and not via social media links or messages.
Anyone making a purchase should do so via debit or credit card and never by direct money transfer - look out for encyrpted payment facilities, usually marked by a padlock in the address bar.
They can also check if the seller is a member the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers at their website, with members forced to adhere to an approved code of practice and are subject to dispute resolution where the seller or agent has been unable to resolve the matter through their own complaints process.
That message of vigilance has also been echoed by the region’s top police officer - who also promised to crack down on ticket scammers.
Area commander for Stirling, Chief Inspector Gill Marshall, said:“we are committed to working with our communities and partners, raising awareness of emerging scams, including ticket fraud, often promoted through social media.
“Cyber criminals can make websites look legitimate and it is not always easy to spot a rogue online presence. We urge the public to be extra vigilant online, including on social media, in the run up to the festive season.
“Members of the public can take some simple steps to prevent themselves falling victim to these kind of scams. This includes using your browser to check a website’s security and also checking if the company involved has a legitimate address, email or phone number.”