Concert-goers ripped off by scams

Thousands of fans have lost their ticket money, says Trading Standards

Kent Trading Standards have warned fans of live music to be on their guard against bogus ticket websites.

They said large numbers of local people had lost hundreds of pounds by paying for tickets that did not exist, often to sites that were based overseas.

People who paid by debit card, rather than credit card, may never see their money again, officials warned.

They suggested people wanting tickets should ring the venues and ask for details of reputable ticket websites.

Laura Tansley, from the Isle of Sheppey, paid £110 by debit card for tickets to a Take That concert to a foreign-based website.

She said her first email querying where the tickets were was answered and she was told they would be sent as soon as the firm had them. But five further emails were not answered and she never saw the tickets.

Oasis and Madonna

"They looked legitimate," she told BBC Radio Kent.

"The money was taken out of my account from Budapest. I paid by debit card, so I was not protected."

Mary Millgate, from Kent Trading Standards, said her department received complaints about bogus ticket sites every day.

She said people buying tickets for Oasis and Madonna concerts and the Reading Festival had all been ripped off.

"They are very sophisticated websites, even with security padlocks for the payments," she said.

"But often they are hosted from abroad and one even moved countries to avoid being traced."