UK consumers seek secure ticket sites

Popular events are often targeted by fraudsters who set up fake ticketing sites aimed at tricking people into paying for tickets they will never receive.

But one in ten adults surveyed by YouGov have halted an event ticket purchase online from sites that appear suspicious.

The results of the survey highlight the need for websites to demonstrate strong security credentials to gain trust from potential buyers, VeriSign said.

Near half (46%) of respondents said they have bought tickets for events online in the past year, with 82% stating they use only sites with enhanced security.

Residents of Northern Ireland and London are most likely to buy event tickets over the internet, the survey found, with 52% using the web to purchase a ticket to a sporting, music or cultural event over the past year.

The savviest age group is 18 to 34 year olds when it comes to booking tickets for their favourite events online, with 60% claiming to have bought a ticket on the web in the past year.

World Cup fever has shown how high demand tickets for popular sporting events can be, but genuine ticket sellers need to assure customers their sites are secure, said Tim Callan, vice president of product marketing at VeriSign.

"Online merchants should also make sure they proactively inform customers that their sites are secure through visible security cues such as trust marks and clear, easy-to-find information about their security policies", he said.

Websites can assure customers by:

  • Using Extended Validation (EV) Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificates
  • Displaying industry-standard marks or seals.
  • Applying for Internet Shopping Is Safe (ISIS) accreditation
  • Publishing security certificates

This article was first published by Computer Weekly

What’s hot on Infosecurity Magazine?