A social media campaign targetting ticket fraud has been launched by the PSNI ahead of a summer of numerous concerts and other events this summer.
The service is urging people to be wary of scammers, noting £6.7 million was lost to ticket fraud in 2022, with 7,088 reports last year across the UK. This included 189 reports of ticket fraud in Northern Ireland.
Concerts are set to take place across the north over the next three months, including Tom Jones at Ormeau Park next week as part of the Belsonic series of gigs.
"It can be so tempting to get caught up in the hype and rush to have that must-have ticket for that sold-out gig but you should never buy tickets from unknown websites or people you do not know," said Chief Superintendent Gerard Pollock, chair of the ScamWiseNI partnership.
"We know how disappointing it is to find out tickets for a show or an event are all gone, but so do the criminals and they exploit that to target would be concert-goers," said Mr Pollock.
“We’re appealing to people to take steps to protect themselves from unscrupulous ticket sellers looking to take advantage of their eagerness to attend an event."
Police are asking parents buying tickets for children and young adults, particularly those making a last minute decision, to be extra cautious when buying a ticket.
"Too often, we see reports of tickets that don’t appear at all, or are just screenshots of genuine tickets that won’t get you any farther than the ticket barrier," said Det Supt Pollock.
Ticket fraud often involves the use of images and graphics taken from genuine sellers to make fake websites look like the real deal, or use contact through social media, the PSNI said.
The advertisement or offer may appear genuine, but there will be subtle differences. Buyers should look closely at the website address. In recent cases, money was sent to the sellers but the tickets were never received.
"The safest way to ensure tickets bought are genuine is to purchase them from the authorised ticket seller or authorised reseller,” Mr Pollock added.