Hopeful Blur fans have been warned to be careful after scammers appeared to target Gazette readers who missed out on securing tickets in an exclusive pre-sale.
On Tuesday, Blur announced a special one-off gig at Colchester Arts Centre, and a pre-sale for members of the band’s mailing list started at 10am yesterday.
But despite fans getting their ducks in a row early in the morning, many were left disappointed.
Minutes after the Gazette story about the Blur tickets selling out was posted on social media comments started pouring in.
Numerous commenters claimed to have tickets they no longer needed and wanted to sell.
Some claimed to have three or four for sale despite purchasers only being allowed to buy two.
The comments from the possible scammers were removed by the Gazette once they were spotted.
One seller claimed they were selling their tickets after the sudden death of their cousin, less than 20 minutes after the pre-sale finished.
A Gazette reporter messaged two of the commenters asking if they could buy their tickets.
For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.
When asked for proof the tickets existed, one person replied with a 'ticket' for Wembley despite saying they were selling Colchester Arts Centre tickets.
When the Gazette queried this it was quickly amended, although the Wembley date remained on the ticket.
After pointing out the error the Gazette's reporter was blocked.
Another 'seller' simply ignored our requests for proof the tickets existed.
When the Gazette asked to be sent the tickets before payment, the Facebook user asked for half payment and said they would then send the tickets.
Sadly, ticket fraud is on the rise, with new figures revealing over £6.7 million was lost to ticket fraud in 2022.
Pauline Smith, who is the head of Action Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime, said: “Action Fraud has seen a rise in ticket fraud over the past 12 months, as criminals take advantage of people wanting to enjoy more live sport and music.
She added: “We urge people to be wary of ticket sales from unknown websites or people they do not know. Criminals may offer deals on sold-out or exclusive events, however once you have parted with your money, the tickets are either fraudulent or never appear at all.”
If you have fallen victim to ticket fraud or any other scam, please contact Action Fraud at actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here