Season Ticket scam - BEWARE!

C

Coughlin

Reserves
This morning a punter with a hard luck story turned up at the ticket office at the Vitality claiming to be me. They said they had lost their wallet with the season ticket in and had no identification other than somehow knowing my address and phone number.

Sadly the gullible ticket desk fell for the scam. They did not ask for other identification eg passport or utility bill nor did they have the gumption to phone the 2 numbers they have for me on the database as a double check. Instead they took £10 and asked the fraudster to collect a new ST pre match on Sunday.

The fraudster paid £10 in cash and my ticket has been invalidated. The fraudster would have turned up pre match Sunday collected the ticket and breezed in.

I received this morning an e mail receipt for the £10 paid which alerts me to the scam. Otherwise I d be turning up on Sunday and not be able to get in with my season ticket which I have now and have had all season but has now been invalidated.

My 3 calls with the ticket office this morning has only re enforced my belief that the club is run chaotically and there is no respect for the long term fans who have helped when the club has been down on its uppers.

Anyway watch out as you could be the next victim.
 
...it should never be that easy to re-issue another ST?

...they must have safeguards in place to avoid this sort of opportunist scam?
 
They do not! The Office tell me that not all fans have utility bills or passports so they do not ask for those. Nor do they have the gumption to say hold a minute whilst we ring the phone numbers for you we have on our database as a double check!
Yes this is the 21st century and fraud is that easy - at least it is at AFCB!
 
What about asking your customer ID number, most people know this and easy to check.

Will the police be in attention when the "new" season ticket is being pick up ?
 
Well now its been highlighted on here, the person might be less inclined to turn up, which is a shame.
 
Maybe Rob but better to alert other fans to the risk and doubt the fraudster is active on this site anyway.
 
corfe_red - 8/1/2018 14:06

What about asking your customer ID number, most people know this and easy to check.

Will the police be in attention when the "new" season ticket is being pick up ?
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You get an email receipt for your season tickets, so everyone should know it. Otherwise they could store a photo of people, easy enough to check if it is actually the correct person at that point.

Call the mobile number on record to verify the person at the counter is the real one, whatever. So many ways. This is proper slack.
 
Coughlin - 8/1/2018 11:14

Maybe Rob but better to alert other fans to the risk and doubt the fraudster is active on this site anyway.
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Yeah, fair play for putting it on here in case it is a wider scam. Good job you caught it.

 
Would / should they not send the new ST to coughlins home address. It all seems very risky for the fraudster, initially going to the club (CCTV) and as collection then going again...CCTV.. also the risk of getting caught on collection.





 
Surely the people who sit next, near you for the time you have had your ST would be aware of a ‘stranger’ in your seat and could easily tell the club. Have you a mate that sits next to you?

Was the person asked what the seat number and row the seat is in?

The question is how they know your name, address and you are a ST holder.

If I was you if you have no faith in the club to sort it, go and report it to the police.

 
Could be an Arsenal fan. Get into the ground, wait until after kick off when most seats are taken then find a free one from someone that hasn't turned up. They wouldn't care about the rest of the season and reduce the risk by not using the season ticket holder seat.
 
billythekid - 8/1/2018 14:20

Surely the people who sit next, near you for the time you have had your ST would be aware of a ‘stranger’ in your seat and could easily tell the club. Have you a mate that sits next to you?

Was the person asked what the seat number and row the seat is in?

The question is how they know your name, address and you are a ST holder.

If I was you if you have no faith in the club to sort it, go and report it to the police.
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There's absolutely no chance you'd go and sit in the actual seat the ticket is for. Wait 5 minutes into the game in the toilets or concourse then go sit in any other empty seat.
 
Silent AFCB - 8/1/2018 11:15

corfe_red - 8/1/2018 14:06

What about asking your customer ID number, most people know this and easy to check.

Will the police be in attention when the "new" season ticket is being pick up ?
Click to expand...

You get an email receipt for your season tickets, so everyone should know it. Otherwise they could store a photo of people, easy enough to check if it is actually the correct person at that point.

Call the mobile number on record to verify the person at the counter is the real one, whatever. So many ways. This is proper slack.
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Is what actually happened much different to this? They didn't give the new ticket out and contacted OP about the change. He's called them to say it's wrong and presumably they have reactivated his ST card.

It doesn't sound like the scam has worked and they might even be able to catch the guy because they've told him to turn up on match day when the place is crawling with old bill.

Doesn't sound all that bad to me.

 
Silent AFCB - 8/1/2018 11:40

billythekid - 8/1/2018 14:20

Surely the people who sit next, near you for the time you have had your ST would be aware of a ‘stranger’ in your seat and could easily tell the club. Have you a mate that sits next to you?

Was the person asked what the seat number and row the seat is in?

The question is how they know your name, address and you are a ST holder.

If I was you if you have no faith in the club to sort it, go and report it to the police.
Click to expand...

There's absolutely no chance you'd go and sit in the actual seat the ticket is for. Wait 5 minutes into the game in the toilets or concourse then go sit in any other empty seat.
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They shouldn’t be able to get in the ground, let alone sit in a seat.

Today is Monday, the game is Sunday. Report it to the correct person at our club and take ID. Next step they could put a block on the ST. If the person went to use it they wouldn’t get in and could easily be caught, the club would know which entrance they would use.

Edit: Coughlin have the club now taken action and stopped this happening?
 
Some devious minds on here! I hadn't considered that the fraudster might already have sold it on for a profit!

Still the person who paid for it last might get caught.
 
The fraudster hasn't got a ticket has he? OP said they told him to collect it on match day.

As I say, I don't think the club has done too badly here.

 
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