Expert disputes claims fake tickets on rise in UK

A fraud expert has disputed claims that the selling of fake tickets for concerts and other events is on the rise in the UK.

The original claim that scams were up over the past year came from Viagogo, an online reseller of tickets. Viagogo said Britons were duped to the tune of the £50m ($75m) in the past year, with many of the scams being run on fake resale websites, online auctions and social media.

However, ticketing expert Reg Walker dismissed the research. "Ticket fraud over the past 12 months has declined," Walker told the Guardian. Walker attributed the dip to a three-year police operation set up to tackle fraud at the Olympics and Paralympics. The unit is being disbanded.

Walker also pointed to Viagogo as a source of fake tickets. In November the BBC reported up to 200 people were turned away from a Mumford & Sons gig because they had fake tickets. Some of the invalid tickets were bought through Viagogo, which reimbursed anyone affected.