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Venues issue warnings over sophisticated Halloween scarefest ticket scam
Overview
UK venues have warned the public about an apparent scam involving fake tickets sold for Halloween "scarefest" events across nine cities. The company, Halloween Nights Fear, is accused of using artificial intelligence to create a convincing, large-scale website advertising events at locations such as Cardiff Castle and Bradgate Park, which have confirmed the listings are fraudulent. Authorities advise affected ticket buyers to contact their banks and trading standards.
Key points
- Halloween Nights Fear listed fake scarefest events across nine UK cities, with tickets priced from £14 to £140.
- Venues including Cardiff Castle, Bradgate Park in Leicester, and Transport for London confirmed the listings are fake.
- A technology expert stated that artificial intelligence appeared to be used to create an unusually large and convincing scam website.
- The website features a non-working phone number, is not registered on Companies House, and has deleted its social media presence.
- Leicestershire Trading Standards has requested that the website be deactivated and advised victims to contact their banks.