ANZ encourages customers to be alert to ticket scams

Ahead of the football finals and upcoming music festival season, ANZ is encouraging customers to pause and consider the risks before purchasing event tickets from unknown sellers online, as opportunistic cyber-criminals take advantage of popular or sold-out events to sell fake or duplicate tickets.

In 2023 alone, ScamWatch reports more than $32 million has been lost to buying and selling scams, with internet sites, email and social media the top three platforms being used to trick victims.

ANZ Complex Investigations Lead, Marc Broome, said: “Cyber-criminals take advantage of our excitement and desperation to get tickets to major events, such as football finals or music concerts. They’ll create fake tickets, and even fake websites to lure in victims.”

“It’s always best to buy tickets from an authorised and reputable retailer, and to be cautious if buying tickets from someone you don’t know.”

“Although second chance sales may be tempting, it’s important to be aware of the risks, and to know the signs of a scam. As we always say, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” he said.

Signs of a ticket scam:

1. The tickets are heavily discounted or cheaper than retail price. Genuine resale tickets, particularly those in high demand often sell for double or triple the retail price.
2. The seller has no profile history, other sales, or reviews. Do your research and read reviews where possible. If buying tickets on social media, question if the seller has an existing profile or other listings?
3. The seller insists on payment through unfamiliar channels. Wherever possible, pay through secure channels.

ANZ’s customer protection teams and systems operate 24/7. Customers who believe they may have been a victim of a scam should contact us immediately, on 13 33 50 or visit us at http://www.anz.com.au/security/report-fraud/ for more information.

For more information on the types of scams and how to protect yourself visit http://www.anz.com.au/security/types-of-scams.

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