SCAM ALERT: Michael-McIntyre-Tickets.com Appears Online To Scam Fans
Wednesday, 06 April 2011
Written by Brad Norris
Stereoboard has identified a new scam site this morning surrounding the sale of non-existent tickets for UK comedian Michael McIntyre's upcoming UK & Ireland tour in 2012. The site/domain we suspect of being operated by International ticket fraudsters is Michael-McIntyre-Tickets.com.
SCAM ALERT: Michael-Mcintyre-Tickets.com
Michael-McIntyre-Tickets.com was registered only last week on March 28th 2011, and is already sitting at the top of the search results on Google.com.
If you have bought tickets from Michael-McIntyre-Tickets.com we'd urge you to immediately inform your bank to get the transaction cancelled - if you have paid by credit card you will be protected under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974. You should also report the site to the OFT and Action Fraud as there is a high chance of a crime having been committed.
The domain itself is registered in the Ukraine to:
Sergej Lucent Ltd.
4 Luteranska Str., off.#23
Kyiv, 01001
UA
Ifraim, Sean (Admin Contact)
sean.ifraim@mail.ru
+33.255477894
With the Michael McIntyre tour being over 18 months in the future, these types of events are of high target to International scam operations. The criminal gangs behind Michael-McIntyre-Tickets.com, and many other sites just like it, expolit the popularity, and distance of the events so far in the future, to provide a cushion period to dupe unsuspecting punters before the site disappears and there is no way to contact the company to enquire about the tickets. Typically tickets for music and comedy events are not dispatched by ticket agencies until weeks or days before the event, giving time for the scamsters to operate.
Stereoboard.com runs a black-list of scam websites to help music fans avoid being ripped off. The ticket scam black-list can be viewed at: www.stereoboard.com/ticket-scams. An example of another fake tickets website can be seen at: www.v-festival-2011.com. The structure of these scam sites are always similar and use the same technology and templates.
Stereoboard founder Nigel Sachdev said: "Fake ticket websites are on the rise. Around every major event, and tour, you can guarantee at least one dodgy website will pop-up, scam fans, then disappear without a trace."
"We uncovered a rash of scam ticket websites which sprang up around the T in the Park, Reading, Leeds and the V Festival earlier this month, we assisted Google in identifying these sites and getting their advertising cut within hours of going live, reducing the risk to UK music fans."
"It is a ticket time-bomb waiting to explode as many thousands of people will be blissfully unaware they have been scammed, and most will only discover it much closer to the event when no tickets arrive. There will again be many thousands of unhappy punters this year."
In February 2011, Stereoboard produced a viral video to warn fans against disreputable tout ticket sellers. ‘Access All Areas’, which has received over 27,000 views so far, follows the fate of a group of music fans who opt to go ‘off road’ obtaining their tickets unofficially, to blag their way backstage at a major gig. They ultimately get left out in the cold in the video. The film can we viewed at www.youtube.com/StereoboardTV or you can of course view the video below.
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