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Fighting Online Ticket Fraud. BBC teams up with Hit Search

By Andrew Redfern @ 13th July 2009 1:58 pm

The internet isnt just a place where the regular businesses trade, it is also a place where fraudsters try to make an awful lot of money. One of the hottest topics for those concerned with internet fraud is online ticket sales. There has been a huge rise in the number of sites taking money for tickets for sporting and musical events but never actually delivering them to the customer.

Internet marketing fraud can be very hard to trace as there are a number of ways to get websites noticed. The path being used the most is currently Google adwords where people have sponsored adverts appear in natural search engines. Unsuspecting users then click these links and buy tickets to sold out or high demand venues although their tickets never actually arrive! This is becoming an increasing problem as huge stars across the world announce further dates, and although there are guidelines in place to help stop this happening, there are still a number of people slipping through the net.

BBC Radio 4 are currently running an investigation through their flagship consumer affairs show “You and Yours“. Their aim is to help consumers spot the difference between genuine and fake ticket distributors across the internet. Recently Hit Search have provided assistance to the BBC in order to help reduce the number of online marketing fraudsters.

We were contacted by their reporter Shari Vahl and asked to provide an insite into how exactly these sites, despite being relatively new, can achieve such prominent positioning in the Google listings. She has been working tirelessly to expose the dangers posed by these sites and the people behind them.

At Hit Search we feel that clearing the internet of these rogue traders will help make the internet a safer place and make it easier for legitimate traders to run their businesses. Also we are aware that these ticket rip-offs create an atmosphere of “once bitten twice shy”. If a large number of these fraudulent sites were closed down then this will help increase the trust of consumers who may use the internet in the future.

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