After making a killing at the Football World Cup in South
Africa, global internet sharks are turning their sights on
next year's Rugby World Cup.
Already, websites are offering tickets at two, three and even
four times times the official price.
One has category A tickets at $3642 when the official price
is $1250, and category D tickets at $1682 when the official
price is $390.
Not only are the prices too high, but punters face a risk
that the tickets will not be delivered.
Internet security firm Symantec director Steve Martin said
buyers could also be giving their credit card details to
criminals.
Mr Martin said New Zealand would face the same ticketing
issues experienced during the Fifa World Cup and the 2008
Olympics.
At the Beijing Games, almost 2000 sports fans were fleeced
out of $4.9 million when they bought tickets through a bogus
website.
A South African newspaper estimated internet scams netted
about $1.2 million during the Football World Cup.
Rugby New Zealand 2011 chief executive Martin Snedden said it
was not clear how the unofficial websites had got hold of
tickets, but it could have been during the first phase of
official sales this year.
The next official sales of individual tickets will take place
next month. Mr Snedden also said it was unclear if rugby fans
using the unofficial websites would receive tickets.
Two of the websites - worldcup 2011.com and euroteam.net -
are run by a shady Norwegian firm known as Euroteam.
It is understood Euroteam often promises to deliver tickets
close to the day of the event.
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