Don't get caught out by Olympic ticket fraud

Lincolnshire Police and Action Fraud are warning residents to be wary when purchasing tickets for the upcoming Rio 2016 Olympic games.
Olympic Games.Olympic Games.
Olympic Games.

The Olympics begin in Rio de Janeiro on August 6 and, as of late June, you will be able to purchase tickets from the official Rio 2016 ticket offices.

Purchasing from an unauthorised seller or a ticket tout could leave you out of pocket; not only are the tickets advertised at inflated prices, but there is also a risk that the tickets purchased are counterfeit or do not exist. Any individual with a counterfeit ticket will be refused entry.

To help protect yourself, the list of authorised sellers has been published on the official website (www.rio2016.com), and provides a list of trusted re-sellers. Equally, tickets purchased that are no longer needed can be sold through the Rio 2016 website for a 100 per cent reimbursement if the tickets are resold.

Action Fraud has provided the following advice to protect yourself from ticket fraud:

• When purchasing from another company or individual, ask questions; specifically when you will receive the ticket and what type of ticket you are purchasing.

• Pay for tickets by using a credit card or trusted payment service. Payments made by bank transfer may not be recoverable.

• Always check that the payment screen is secure by looking for the padlock symbol or making sure the website URL begins with “https”.

If you have been affected by this, or any other scam, report it to Action Fraud by calling 0300 123 2040, or visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk