ABU DHABI // The organisers of Rihanna’s concert in the capital are warning fans to only buy tickets from authorised vendors amid fears fraudsters are circulating bogus passes.
Organisers Flash Entertainment said any ticket acquired by “fraudulent means” would be invalid and cancelled with no refund.
Holders of such tickets will be refused admittance and will have to buy a geniune one to get in, the company said.
Fradulent tickets are often sold in person or through online listings.
Flash did not specify how many tickets had been sold or how many fans would be affected.
“All we would like to do is to remind people to think carefully from where they purchase their tickets,” a Flash representative said.
Fans can choose between several official vendors in the UAE, including ticketmaster.ae, Virgin Megastores, Jacky’s Electronics or the venue box office at the du Arena.
As of Friday, tickets were still available from official points of sale in the Golden Circle, Diamond VIP Platform and General Admission categories, Flash said.
“A quick look on the event’s website will help people avoid mistakes,” said Ashish Panjabi, chief executive of Jacky’s Electronics.
Scammers are known to target major events, a practice prevalent worldwide, he said.
He advised fans with concerns to contact Ticketmaster for more information by emailing helpdesk@ticketmaster.ae or calling 800 86 823.
An employee at Ticketmaster’s free helpline said he was aware of people purchasing an e-ticket only to sell several copies later.
But each ticket has a unique barcode number guaranteeing only one person enters the venue.
Tickets also bear the last name of the people who purchased them.
The announcement may deter some fans from buying tickets online, but one man selling them through Dubizzle said he was not worried about finding buyers for the 10 he had left.
“Buying a physical ticket is not a problem,” he said. “It is very difficult to make fake tickets.”
But he agreed that fans buying e-tickets could be defrauded and they needed to ensure copies of the ticket were not being sold.
The gig is part of Rihanna’s Diamonds world tour to promote her seventh album, Unapologetic.
It is the singer’s fifth major world tour and her most elaborate yet.
vtodorova@thenational.ae
