Fake theatre tickets are not a huge problem (yet?) in Australia. Fraudulent tickets are becoming a problem for popular sporting events and concerts.
I suspect that’s mainly because the scammers think there is a greater demand and less chance of detection among the 20,000 to 100,000 tickets of a major sold-out event.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) ScamWatch website has been reporting ticket scams since at least 2008 and counterfeit tickets since 2011.
Tickets sold by official event organisers and authorised sellers often carry conditions that restrict their resale or transfer above face value. While official event organisers and their authorised ticket sellers have a strong online presence, so too do ticket ‘scalpers’, engaging in unauthorised reselling of tickets at higher prices.
– From Don’t let scalpers spoil your sporting events and festivals
There is a larger secondary market for tickets at major events, so scammers go where the living is easy.
You are more likely to meet a scalper sourcing sold-out P!NK tickets than get gouged on your anniversary tickets to Wicked. It is really hard to tell a fraudster from that family who’s Gran just passed away and can’t bear to attend the revival of Cats while in morning.
However be careful when buying expensive theatrical show tickets after-market. Just because this isn’t a major feeding-ground for scammers doesn’t mean small-time operators won’t try one on.
Nothing will make your special night out at the theatre worse than being turned away at the door because your ticket is fraudulent.
Of course, the odds of accidentally buying a fake ticket to Jannili High School’s revival of Fiddler on the Roof are low.