The National Internet Scam Hotline is seeing an increase in fraud in the purchase of tickets for events or concerts with scammers abusing the name of Ticketswap. Ticketswap is an online platform where people can sell or buy their tickets.
In this type of scam, the perpetrator searches on Facebook, Marktplaats and Speurders, among others, for people looking for tickets to a concert or event that is already sold out. The scammer responds to such calls, stating that he has the tickets he is looking for and that he is putting them up for sale on Ticketswap. Then the scammer sends an app or an email supposedly from Ticketswap. In that message are event details and an iDEAL payment link. The payment link looks credible: it includes details of the event or artist and whether it's a standing or seated seat. After clicking it, you are redirected to a page where a payment request is ready. After choosing your bank, the agreed amount will then be debited from your account.
What you don't know is that in the meantime, the scammer is busy purchasing online credit for iTunes, for example. The moment the victim wants to pay, the scammer sends the payment link of that online credit. He manipulates that link so that it looks like it came from Ticketswap. Thus, the unsuspecting victim pays for the perpetrator's online credit.
The scammers are even so brazen as to indicate at a later time that the payment is not yet in and that it probably got "stuck" in the payment process. They try to trick you into making another payment.
So be alert when purchasing tickets that give the impression that they come from Ticketswap. They do this by misusing logos or email addresses and payment links that include the Ticketswap name such as verkoopticketswap@gmail.com or ticketswapverkoop@gmail.com. Ticketswap never asks customers to sell tickets through a payment link. Purchases always go through the website www.ticketswap.nl. Ticketswap also warns against this form of scam.
