If you open TikTok today, you’ll be greeted with every Irish creator talking about one thing. The Electric Picnic ticket scam. As we count down the days to Ireland’s biggest music festival, reports are emerging that multiple people allege that one individual has sold them an EP ticket but not delivered the goods.
This is our Netflix documentary moment as now, on social media, multiple people have found each other to be in the same situation.
Speaking to Laois media A Garda spokesperson said that they, “are investigating a number of reported Electric Picnic ticket scams.”
There have been multiple reports on social media and on local media of EP ticket scams this year, but it remains unclear how many are linked to this one individual. Gardai went on to advise “people to be very cautious buying tickets away from official channels, and to only use official sites to buy tickets”.
Without going into further specifics, the Gardai did include details of the scam, outlining that “people are going on a photograph of a ticket that could already have been sold. Be vigilant”.
It remains to be seen how or why an individual believed such a brazen scam would go unnoticed or unpunished. Many of those affected have stated how they know the person they allege scammed them having met them in person, or recognising them from their previous endeavours.
I wanted to report on this to highlight the risks with buying tickets from unofficial sources in the lead up to Electric Picnic. Opportunists will always try to make a quick buck, and FOMO means you might drop your guard briefly and lose substantial amounts of money. Even if you think you know the person selling, remember that it could be someone using their new found clout or it could be AI-powered fakery. As the CCPC has said, if it’s too good to be true, it probably is.
