A “beauty pageant influencer” is at the centre of an Electric Picnic ticket scam.
She has been accused of swindling several people into buying counterfeit tickets for the beloved Irish festival.
Those who allegedly fell victim to the scam took to social media to raise awareness, with the story quickly going viral.
The Gardaí have now gotten involved in the investigation.
Per The Irish Mirror, the woman has been questioned by the Garda fraud squad and is “fully cooperative” with the investigation.
Sources say that she will be returning all the money she received from people who allegedly believed they were receiving Electric Picnic tickets.
The young woman deleted her social media accounts after people came forward with their stories of the reported fraud.
She used her social media platform to claim that she was selling two tickets to the festival. Several people have approached the Gardaí sharing their stories and it’s believed more will come forward.
It is feared that there could be upwards of 100 people duped out of their money and the Gardaí believe that she could have amassed a six figure sum.
Gardaí are urging anyone who believes they may have been a victim of online fraud to report it in person or by phone at their local Garda station, or by calling the freephone Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111.
A Garda spokesperson said: “It is important that people exert a great degree of caution if attempting to purchase tickets for a sold-out event through any third-party known or otherwise.
“Do not trust that the tickets you believe you are purchasing are real. It is likely that they will not materialise and in fact, do not exist. Please do not send money through any app in advance.”
Electric Picnic released a public statement that reads: “If you see tickets for Electric Picnic advertised anywhere other than on Ticketmaster you stand a good chance of getting ripped off and possibly being refused entry. The most usual reasons are listed below.
“All event tickets are checked by our staff at entry to the event and again at the wristband exchange for camping shows – any forged tickets will be confiscated from you, you will not be permitted to the event and you may face questioning from the police.
“We do not issue ‘Print at home’ tickets for Electric Picnic, any tickets that are offered for sale fitting that description are a scam.”
