With the Olympics just around the corner, online scammers have turned their interests toward selling ‘fake’ tickets to the event. According to a recent study, made by Which? Computing, fake Olympic tickets are becoming all too familiar on the web. With prices starting from £7 it’s not really a surprise!

An increasing number of domain names are being purchased from UK ISP addresses that bear reference to the Olympics. It’s not difficult to obtain one; it’s a case of registering with a hosting company, checking the availability of your desired site name, and registering the domain! Which? computing proved just how easy it is, by registering their very own Olympic referenced site.

Although the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), are trying their best to highlight this problem, Which? Say that more needs to be done in order to wipe the web clear of fraudsters, once and for all.

It’s very easy for the sites to set up an online portal for selling fake tickets, allowing criminals to get a hold of confidential information such as credit card numbers, address information, and the personal details required for  identity fraud.

One popular UK domain company Nominet, actually told Which? computing that it’s nothing to do with them.  They do not know who is registering the sites.  The UK are the only country behind in online security, with countries like Bermuda, and Albania having stricter domain registration rules!

Fraudulent websites are becoming a big problem around the world, with over 12, 000 internet users  victims of fraudulent sales. Avid fans of the Olympics get  excited about getting a ticket, their better judgement is clouded and they become an easy victim.

The editor of Which? computing , Sarah Kidner mentioned that several sites on the web already promise tickets for events that simply don’t exist. Rules and regulations have to be enforced, to make sure that scammers get wiped out.