Ticketek warns concertgoers not to use ticket resellers after customers show up to gigs with fake tickets

Ticketek has issued an urgent warning on third party ticket reselling sites after fans turned up to major events only to find they had fake tickets.

Concertgoers have been warned fake tickets are being resold through unauthorised reselling websites, seeing fans who spent hundreds denied entry to shows.

Ticketek warned its customers a third party website was unofficially selling tickets and asking people for personal information from their Ticketek accounts.

Customers were urged to avoid entering any personal details or payment information to the platform, and were told not to purchase tickets from there.

“Ticketek has received reports of customers attempting to attend events with counterfeit tickets bought from unauthorised sources,” a spokesman said.

“These tickets are often invalid and result in denied entry, causing unnecessary frustration.”

Ticketek has warned consumers fake tickets are being sold to major events through unauthorised reselling websites seeing fans denied entry to shows when they arrive at the venue. Picture NewsWire / Aaron Francis

A spokesman said Ticketek Marketplace was the only official resale platform for event tickets purchased through Ticketek and that sharing personal information with unauthorised platforms put users at risk of fraud or misuse.

Scammers often target major events to request payments or personal information to secure tickets from unsuspecting consumers.

Recently, hackers tried their luck using compromised consumer data by obtaining email and password combinations from the dark web to access people’s Ticketek accounts.

Billie Ellish fans had tickets stolen from their digital wallets only to find out their tickets had been cancelled when they tried to enter the venue.

@emilyylordd $1700+ out of pocket. 🥲 Thank you Ticketek for nothing! 🫶🏼 #billieeilish#ticketek#ticketekaustralia#fypage @BILLIE EILISH @TICKETEK OFFICIAL @Ticketek Australia ♬ original sound - emilyylordd

Brisbane woman Emily Lord shared her ordeal over a series of TikTok videos saying her Ticketek account had been hacked and she had eight tickets stolen and resold on Ticketek Marketplace without her knowledge.

Ms Lord said names on the tickets were changed, but she kept receiving emails about the concert because the alleged thief never changed her email address so she never suspected a thing.

Ms Lord repurchased the tickets she lost and was refunded by Ticketek for the tickets that were stolen from her.

Billie Ellish fans had tickets stolen from their digital wallet after hackers accessed their Ticketek accounts and resold them on Ticketek Marketplace. Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for FIREAID.

A Ticketek spokesman said Australia was a global hot spot for account phishing and scams across e-commerce businesses.

“Ticketek is aware of unauthorised access to some individual accounts via credentials that have been stolen as a result of other third-party data breaches,” a spokesman said.

“We would also like to reiterate that Ticketek accounts or individual data has not been compromised.

“In the best interest of all our customers, we would like to remind fans to remain vigilant by changing or updating their passwords to safeguard their interests.”

The company advised customers to make a police report if they had tickets stolen and the resale of their tickets was fraudulent.

“Customers should immediately file a police report and contact Ticketek customer service so we can commence an investigation,” a spokesman said.

More than 270 Taylor Swift fans, mostly in Melbourne and Sydney, were targeted with fake ticket sales through social media ahead of the Eras tour. Picture: NewsWire/ Ben Symons

Last year, more than 270 Taylor Swift fans were targeted with fake ticket sales through social media ahead of the Eras tour.

NAB revealed customers abandoned $285,0000 in payments linked to potential ticket scams in the three months before the concerts.

In 2024, ScamWatch reported Australians lost almost $27m in buying and selling scams.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) recommended people only buy tickets from an authorised seller.

“Scammers may use fake ticketing websites or email scams to make false claims about the event, such as being part of a ticket lottery or competition,” a spokesman said on its website.

“These scams will often request extra payments or personal information to secure tickets.”

Originally published as Ticketek warns concertgoers not to use ticket resellers after customers show up to gigs with fake tickets