As law enforcement urges people to avoid crowd-gathering and join virtual events this festival season, scammers are selling bogus tickets.
Cyber-Forensics.net is among the reputable agencies creating awareness regarding a new type of digital scam making the rounds these days. The fraud involves tricksters selling fake tickets for virtual events online. The fraud has already resulted in targeting an overwhelming number of people.
Timothy Benson, the chief analyst at Cyber-Forensics.net, a leading cyber forensic service provider for online scam victims, raised concerns over the growing number of victims in the past few weeks.
Timothy says, "scammers create fake social media posts on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to attract the potential crowd and charge them hefty amounts for attending virtual events. But these posts are nothing but bait to get people to pay money in the name of registration."
How does the fake virtual event charge scam work?
As nations experience the wave of pandemic once more, virtual events offer an opportunity to stay connected and engaged. But scammers have found a way to trick people once again.
Scammers are creating fake social media posts online for supposed virtual events promising to connect people while they relax at their homes. But to do that, people need to pay for tickets. As cash and other facilities cannot be utilized, people use credit card numbers and personal information to claim their tickets.
Another twist involves scammers building lookalike websites where they put vendor photos to sound genuine and embed compromised links on the fake websites.
The latest reported figures confirm fake virtual event scams have earned over $230000 worth of bitcoin since 2020.
Now cyber security agencies across the globe are issuing urgent warnings for people urging them to stay informed to avoid falling victims to such frauds.
Tips to Avoid Virtual Event Ticket Frauds
Check if there is any fee: Visit the event’s website to see if participants need to purchase any tickets for the virtual event. If not, watch for scammers trying to claim otherwise. If that happens, message the event coordinator to help the organizers inform the virtual attendees.
Research vendors and the host: If the event sounds unfamiliar, research about the host, and list of vendors ahead of the event. When not sure, search for the event vendor online instead of following the link directly.
Use credit card when making any purchase: While purchasing any ticket for any virtual event, use the credit card as it is possible to get the money back in case the event turns out to be a scam. The victims can claim chargeback from the credit card company. If the vendor requires any payment through a gift card or other abnormal processes, it is best to terminate the transaction immediately.
Keep the virtual event’s receipt: Make a note to keep purchase confirmation receipts.
Review the return policy: Before making the final payment for the purchase, ask the virtual event organizers about the return policy if any issue emerges midway. Be sure to ask how the business handles the ticket returning queries.
Apart from practicing the above tips, there are chances that a buyer had already been a victim of such virtual event ticketing frauds. If that has happened, there are some protective measures that the scam victims can seek.
What To Do if Scammed in Virtual Event Ticket Fraud?
Seek Technical support: In most online scams, the biggest challenge is to identify the next steps. It is generally observed that scam victims fail to implement the exact measures to prevent further damage. Therefore, it is best to seek technical support from cyber experts or reach out to consumer affair divisions.
A 24-year-old social media enthusiast escaped a similar scam when he found details of the so-called virtual event amiss and decided to take help from Cyber-forensics.net.
Lead analyst Timothy Benson, who investigated and counseled the potential scam victim, reveals that “seeking professional help allows investigators to capture the suspect before financial losses worsen. Most damage occurs when consumers do not seek professional help or report the matter.”
Thus, the next crucial step to follow if someone has been scammed is to report the matter.
Reporting the matter to credit card companies/ consumer forum/ police/ vendors: Update the authorities if such scams are prevalent on social media or other platforms. From Email to Instagram, virtual event ticketing frauds are more active than ever. Check every information before making any payment and report the matter immediately or scammed.
Gather fund recovery process: The alternative way funds can be recovered after losing money in a virtual event ticketing scam is by intercepting funds before the attackers cash out the funds through bitcoin or other various exchange services. However, whether or not funds can be intercepted depends on the variety of actors including the kind of fund recovery specialist sought.
How to choose the right fund recovery company?
The rise of cybercrimes has increased the frequency of virtual event payouts, compelling victims to scale the benefits of hiring good fund recovery company considerably.
Finding or identifying the right people for the job can make the difference and affect the possibility of getting money back. A good way to identify credible fund recovery specialist team is to search online in the local region.
In addition to it, also make sure to look at reviews and company profiles. Organizations claiming fund recovery help need to have a good background in serving the scam victims.
A good deal of reviews indicates Cyber-Forensics.net to be a credible name in the field.
About Cyber-Forensics.net
Cyber-Forensics.net is committed to providing the most accurate tracing service for victims of online scams. Cyber-Forensics.net empowers and simplifies the process of tracking down the cyber-criminals and assists in recovering the funds and creating an atmosphere for a negotiated settlement. For more information, please visit http://cyber-forensics.net/.