How to avoid fake concert tickets in Lagos

Most of these work because the buyer pays first and has no one to turn to afterwards.

• The same ticket sold many times. A real QR code is screenshotted and sold to several buyers. The first person through the gate gets in; everyone else is turned away.
• Fake vendor pages. New accounts on Instagram or X using borrowed event flyers and reposted “testimonials”.
• Hacked accounts. A friend’s account suddenly selling tickets “because I can’t go anymore”. The account is real; the person typing isn’t.
• “Pay transfer first.” The seller insists on a bank transfer before sending anything, then goes quiet or blocks you.
• Impersonated artists, promoters or ticketing brands. Look-alike handles offering “last” or “special” tickets.
• Edited tickets. Real tickets with the name, date or tier changed.

One sign on its own doesn’t prove a scam. Two or three together should make you stop.

• The price is well below face value for a show that’s sold out.
• You’re being rushed: “someone else wants it, pay now”.
• They’ll only accept a transfer to a personal account.
• The account name on the bank details doesn’t match the person you’re talking to.
• They’ll only send a screenshot and won’t transfer the ticket through the organiser’s app, even where the app allows it.
• The account is new, has few posts, or has comments turned off.

Honestly, you usually can’t tell from a picture. A ticket can be completely real and still fail at the gate because someone else already used the same code. What you can do is reduce the risk.

1. 01Compare the event name, date, venue and ticket tier with the organiser’s official ticket page.
2. 02If the organiser’s app supports transfers, ask for the ticket to be transferred to your account instead of a screenshot.
3. 03Ask the organiser whether they can check a ticket reference. Some can.
4. 04Search the seller’s handle and phone number together with the word “scam”.
5. 05Assume a screenshot tells you nothing about how many other people have the same code.

Plenty of sellers on Instagram and WhatsApp are honest people who can’t make it. The problem is that you can’t tell them apart from scammers, and once you’ve paid by transfer, nobody is holding your money and nobody reviews what happened if you’re turned away.

If you do buy from a stranger, only buy a ticket the organiser can transfer into your name or account, and don’t pay more than you could afford to lose.

Act quickly. The sooner your bank knows, the better the chance of anything being done.

1. 01Call your bank with the transaction details and ask whether the transfer can be flagged and the receiving account reported.
2. 02Screenshot everything: the chat, the seller’s profile and handle, the account number and name, and your payment receipt.
3. 03Report the account to Instagram, WhatsApp or X so it’s harder for them to reach the next person.
4. 04Report it to the police and take your evidence with you.
5. 05Tell the organiser. They may be able to block the ticket code or warn other fans.

No one can see every gate scanner, so a ticket can still fail. The difference on Ventril is that when it does, your money hasn’t gone anywhere.

• Same ticket sold many times: the seller uploads the file to Ventril, a person reviews every listing, and duplicate ticket files are flagged.
• Fake vendors and hacked accounts: every seller verifies their NIN, and payouts only go to a bank account in that same name.
• “Pay transfer first”: you pay through Ventril, which holds the money until after the event.
• A ticket that doesn’t work: if it doesn’t get you in, you get your money back. You dispute with evidence between the start of the event and noon the next day, a person reviews both sides, and any refund comes from the payment Ventril was holding.