Website checker validates London 2012 Olympic ticket sellers

The organisers of the London 2012 Olympics are setting up an online web address checker so people can ensure they only buy tickets from an authorised seller.

When it goes live on 15 March, buyers are advised to paste the web address of the site they plan on buying their Olympic Games tickets from into the online checker. They should do this even if they believe they are dealing with the official 2012 website.

The tool has been created because fraudsters can cleverly mimic the look of an authorised reseller, making it increasingly difficult for people to tell the difference. If an unauthorised seller is detected the buyer is directed to the official London 2012 website instead.

Research into the problem of bogus websites was carried out in 2009 by the Office of Fair Trading. It found that on average, one in 12 ticket buyers had been caught out by a scam ticket website; with victims losing an average of £80.

Fraudsters started using fake Olympic sites as long ago as the autumn of 2009. This is despite the fact that tickets are not due to go on sale until 15 March this year.

In December last year Operation Podium, a taskforce set up by the Met Police working with the Olympic Committee closed over 100 websites that had been posing as Olympic ticket suppliers.

Games organisers are also hoping to block tickets being resold on sites such as Ebay. This will also help block fraudsters and touts because under Section 31 of the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006 it is illegal to offer tickets for sale unless authorised by organisers.