Stay vigilant for ticket fraud ahead of top events and concerts this summer.

Hello everyone,

In Action Fraud’s new campaign, we are urging people planning to buy tickets or attend this summer’s events and concerts to stay vigilant to criminals.

According to new data, £9.7 million was lost to ticket fraud in 2024 in the UK alone. Action Fraud, the national fraud and cybercrime reporting service, has launched a new ticket fraud awareness campaign, warning people to be alert to fraudsters trying to catch out people planning for popular and sold-out events.

Follow our top tips to avoid falling victim to ticket fraud.

• Only buy tickets from the venue’s box office, official promoter or agent, or a well-known ticketing website.
• Avoid paying for tickets by bank transfer, especially if buying from someone unknown. Credit card or payment services such as PayPal give you a better chance of recovering the money if you become a victim of fraud.
• The password you use for your email account, as well as any other accounts you use to purchase tickets, should be different from all your other passwords. Use three random words to create a strong and memorable password, and enable 2-step verification (2SV).
• Be wary of unsolicited emails, texts or adverts offering unbelievably good deals on tickets.
• Is the vendor a member of STAR? If they are, the company has signed up to their strict governing standards. STAR also offers an approved Alternative Dispute Resolution service to help customers with outstanding complaints. For more information visit star.org.uk/buy_safe.

If you think you’ve been a victim of fraud, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud online at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040, or call Police Scotland on 101

WEEKLY FRAUD UPDATE FROM WEST MERCIA POLICE – ECONOMIC CRIME UNIT – 15/04/2025

SCAM SUBSCRIPTIONS

Many people are falling victim to fraudulent subscriptions or “Scamscriptions” that they have unwittingly signed up to via fake emails or through tempting “Free Trial” offers of products or software, which are also often falsely endorsed by celebrities without their knowledge.

These subscriptions will seem to be too good to be true with offers of free trials/samples, but these can stop abruptly, but the subscription rolls on and then becomes very difficult to cancel in many cases.

So beware of the following:

• Hidden Contract Terms in the small print, so always read these very carefully before committing with a Card payment
• Billing descriptions on your bank statements may carry unclear or misleading business names, so may go by unnoticed
• You may think you have a free trial period, but a charge is imposed from the start which is difficult to reconcile or dispute with the company which may also be fictitious or uncontactable
• Scammers rely on you forgetting to cancel your payments, not noticing small monthly payments from an account or just simply not checking the bank statements at all.

So always;

• Check the small print
• Look out for negative reviews
• Mark your diary with the end of the so called “free period” and cancel if appropriate especially with “free” software offers
• Report any suspicious charges to your Card provider as soon as possible to give you a better chance of being able to cancel and recoup any charges

Please feel free to share these messages with any vulnerable friends, relatives or neighbours

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If you’ve fallen for fraud

Report it to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or via actionfraud.police.uk

Fake Text messages can be forwarded to 7726 to help phone providers take early action and block numbers that generate spam on their networks. You can also report fraudulent mobile calls by texting 7726 with the word “Call” followed by the fraudster’s phone number.

Forward Fake Emails received to report@phishing.gov.uk

If you think your bank account or personal banking details have been used fraudulently, then use the short phone number – 159 – to contact the Fraud Prevention Department of most major UK banks.

BURGLARY “DUNLEY ROAD, HEIGHTINGTON”

Between the hours of 6pm on Saturday 12th APRIL and 8am on Sunday 13th APRIL 2025 a garage to a residential property on DUNLEY ROAD, HEIGHTINGTON, BEWDLEY was broken into and the following items were stolen and are currently outstanding.

Quad bike in red “HONDA”

1 x STIHL petrol strimmer

1 x STIHL Petrol hedge trimmer

If anyone has information that will lead to the location of the property or identity of the offenders, please contact West Mercia Police and quote: 00107_I_13042025

If you store expensive items in a garage, consider fitting a quality alarm and CCTV system, also look to secure any larger items to a solid anchor point using a sturdy chain and padlock.