Fake AFL, NRL, or concert tickets sold on Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree — payment received, no entry at gate
Fake AFL, NRL, and concert tickets sold on Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree. Payment by bank transfer or PayID; tickets never arrive or are invalid QR codes turned away at the gate. Grand Finals are peak season.
Also known as: fake AFL ticket scam, fake NRL ticket scam, fake concert ticket Australia, counterfeit event ticket Australia, Facebook Marketplace ticket fraud, Gumtree fake ticket, duplicate QR code ticket scam
Already happened to you? Do this in the next few minutes
- 1 Call your bank or card's fraud line right now. Use the number on the back of your card — not any number from the message or caller. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment and freeze the account.
- 2 If you paid by gift card, wire, or an app (Zelle, Venmo, Cash App): contact that company immediately and report it as fraud. Acting fast sometimes recovers the money.
- 3 Report to the FBI at ic3.gov and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. The sooner, the better.
What to do right now
- 1 Buy only from official ticketing platforms (Ticketek Marketplace, AFL Ticket Exchange, NRL Tickets, Tixel) — these guarantee ticket validity and buyer protection
- 2 Never pay by direct bank transfer, PayID, or cryptocurrency for event tickets — you cannot reverse the transfer if the tickets are fake
- 3 Use a credit card where possible — it gives you dispute rights if tickets are not delivered as described
- 4 Verify the QR code is valid using the venue's own app or the ticketing platform's app before parting with money
- 5 Check the seller's account history, reviews, and how long the account has been active — brand-new accounts at Grand Final season are a major red flag
- 6 If you have been defrauded, contact your bank immediately to report an unauthorised PayID transfer and lodge a report with Scamwatch at https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/report-a-scam or ReportCyber at https://www.cyber.gov.au/report.
Red flags
- ⚠ The seller is on Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree, or a community Facebook group — not an official platform like Ticketek Marketplace or Tixel
- ⚠ Payment is requested by direct bank transfer, PayID, or cryptocurrency — no reversible payment option is offered
- ⚠ The ticket is 'sold' at cost price or slightly above when the event is sold out — a price that seems just plausible enough is a lure
- ⚠ The seller has a new or sparse account with few reviews or connections
- ⚠ You receive only a screenshot of a QR code or PDF — valid Ticketek/Ticketmaster tickets are resold through the platform's own transfer system
- ⚠ The seller claims urgency — 'can't go due to a family emergency', 'need to sell today', or only replies to the first person