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Madrid’s WiZink Center launches ticket fraud awareness campaign

WiZink Center in Madrid has reported a rise in fraudulent tickets with more than 1,200 people denied access to concerts in 2019.

The 16,000-capacity venue reported an “alarming increase in ticket fraud” in recent months, labelling it as a “serious problem that creates insecurity in concert goers.”

WiZink Center said it wants to lead a campaign to make users aware that “they should buy tickets for all shows on official channels.”

Almudena Requena, director of ticketing at the WiZink Center, said: “This is a problem that affects us directly given that we are the ones who end up denying entry to people with these kinds of tickets. This places a responsibility on us that we are not accountable for.”

The risk of fake tickets being detected by access control systems is at an all-time high according to Eugeni Calsamiglia, general director of Ticketmaster Spain.

Albert Salmerón, president of the Association of Musical Promoters, which has been fighting touting for some time, said: “(We are) aware that it is a problem that affects us all: artists, promoters, venues and all those who are dedicated to this.

“People are playing with the illusion of people, and it is important that the industry do pedagogy and instruct people to know where to buy.”

WiZink Center’s awareness campaign includes notices in its digital display circuit, as well as banners on its website that try to raise awareness among users of the “importance of always acquiring tickets on official channels.”

Image: Luis García