MPS operation shuts down illegal online ticket sales
In the first operation of its kind the Metropolitan Police Service has taken action against more than 100 websites illegally selling football tickets.
In the first operation of its kind the Metropolitan Police Service has taken action against more than 100 websites illegally selling football tickets.
Detectives from the forces Police Central e-crime Unit (PCeU) were working as part of Operation Phyllite. Illegal sales have now been removed or websites shut down following months of investigation into websites based around the world.
Tickets were advertised for Premier League and Football Association (FA) UK-based matches; duping unsuspecting fans into buying either fraudulent or non-existent tickets. There were also concerns that some fraudulent websites were infecting the computers of users who logged onto them with malware.
The PCeU have been working in close partnership with the Premier League for over a year to crackdown on this type of online fraud and disrupt the organised criminal networks that benefit from its proceeds. Additional partner agencies such as the FA, FIFA and Trading Standards, as well as various Internet service providers have also provided assistance and support.
As part of the operation, officers spent time and resources trawling websites looking for tickets being sold fraudulently. A number of offences were also reported by football fans that had become victims of the scams. The PCeU worked with partner agencies and host registrars to have the offending material removed or websites closed down.
Detective Superintendent Charlie McMurdie, from the PCeU said: “Fraudsters capitalise on the victim`s desire to attend an event knowing that they will pay out for the opportunity to be present at that all important one off event. The risk begins when your desire to purchase the tickets blinds your judgment or leads you to unlawful websites. `If it looks too good to be true it probably is`.
“Today`s operation is the first time any law enforcement agency have shut down this many sites in unison and demonstrates our unit`s commitment to tackling this issue head-on, with a clear message to those who abuse the internet for their own criminal gains that we will not tolerate this type of activity. Our overriding objective is to make the UK a safer place to trade online.”
Kevin Plumb, Premier League Commercial Solicitor, said: “The Premier League and our Clubs have been working with the Police Central e-crime Unit for months leading up to this operation and we will continue to work with the appropriate authorities to make fans aware of the dangers of buying unofficial tickets.”