Metropolitan Police Warn Public Against London 2012 Ticket Advert Scams

Recent advertisements shown on national and international media promoting buying London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic tickets are scams according to the Metropolitan Police Service who have cautioned the public not to fall for theses schemes.

The advertisements, which have now been circulating for a number of weeks, only feature a mobile phone number or email address to contact for more information in order to purchase tickets that are actually counterfeit.

Detective Superintendent Nick Downing from Operation Podium, the Met’s dedicated response to serious and organised crime affecting the economy of the London 2012 Games, said that the public must stay away from the adverts in order to avoid be coned of their money.

“Please do not attempt to buy tickets from adverts such as these as you risk paying over the odds for tickets that may not exist and your personal details may be stolen and used in other crimes,” Downing warned.

“The safest way to buy tickets for the Olympic and Paralympic Games is from the London 2012 website.

“On this site you will find the most up to date information about tickets, future Olympic and Paralympic Games ticket sales and the London 2012 website checker.”

It is illegal to advertise or sell an Olympic or Paralympic Games ticket without the appropriate authorisation from the event organisers London 2012 and carries a fine of up to £20,000 ($31,700) for each offence.

It is recognised that the Olympics, the world’s largest sporting event, is an attractive target for those organised criminal networks who seek to exploit the economy of these major events.