Gardai are once again advising the public to purchase concert and event tickets from authorised sources only.
The advice follows the arrest of a male in Galway earlier this week as part of an investigation into the sale of counterfeit concert tickets via the internet.
A male was arrested when Gardai stopped a searched a car in the Tuam area. A number of counterfeit tickets were recovered and mobile phones seized. The male was later charged and is currently before the courts.
With tickets for major summer events either currently on sale, or due to go on sale, Gardaí are reminding members of the public that there is no guarantee that tickets bought from unauthorised sources will be valid, and may see them turned away from an event on the day.
Mr Keith English, Managing Director, Ticketmaster Ireland, said:
"We always strongly advise against buying tickets from unauthorised sources. There are numerous security features contained within the tickets but the most important is the bar code".
He went on to say:
"All tickets entering live events are scanned at the entry point and if your ticket is not valid you won’t gain admittance, you won’t get to enjoy the show and you won’t get your money back”.
The sale of counterfeit tickets continues to be a challenge for Gardai in the policing of concerts and events. Members of the public often only realise the have purchased counterfeit tickets when they arrive at the point of entry. Great disappointment and distress is caused to members of the public who find themselves not only turned away at the venue but left out of pocket.
Remember:
Always - Check with concert and event promoters for details of authorised ticket sources and outlets.
Only - Purchase tickets from authorised sources and outlets.
