Every year thousands of people hand over money to dodgy ticketing websites. How can you beat the fraudsters?
Despite warnings and clampdowns by the consumer watchdog the OFT, online ticket scam sites seem to be thriving.
How good are you at spotting a scam? You might think you’re fairly savvy and not the type of person to get caught out easily, but every year thousands of people buy tickets from fraudulent websites or one that fails to deliver. While fewer women than men fall for these scams, some still lose out. These fake and scam ticketing websites are becoming much more sophisticated and, with the proliferation of unfamiliar names among the genuine ticket-selling sites, it can be hard to work out which you’re safe to buy from and which you should avoid.
If you’ve been the victim of fraud, banks are supposed to refund your money straight away, in most cases.
A change in the rules means that banks have to refund money that’s been stolen unless they have evidence that you were careless or guilty of fraud.
We all know that card fraud is a massive problem, but what you might not know is that you have more rights to get your money back if fraud has been committed. Latest figures show over £230 million was stolen by card fraudsters in the first six months of last year. After chip and PIN was introduced, some banks became reluctant to pay up on fraud cases, especially if a customer still had their plastic card with them or if their PIN had been used in the fraud. But rules introduced last year mean they can’t do that. The problem is that many consumers, and some bank staff, don't seem to be aware of them.
Online retailers aren’t the only ones gearing up for a rush; it’s also a busy time for dodgy websites and fraudsters.
You may think you’d spot a scam, but with around £15 million being lost to online fraud in December – it’s the fraudsters who are expecting to be quids in.
You’re smart enough to know not to reply to phishing emails and you always check the online retailer’s website before you part with your cash. But are you doing enough? Fraudsters know that there’s big money to be made from taking your money and not providing the goods or stealing your identity and card details; and they’ll be particularly active before and after Christmas when your guard may be down.
