Selling lots of tickets and drawing in a large crowd are major goals that every event organizer should strive for. Unfortunately, this could also make you a target for cybercriminals. Whenever emails, personal data, and financial information are involved (like having online accounts or selling tickets to your events), phishing attacks are a potential danger to be aware of. But don’t worry! Our team is here to equip you with practical tips to protect yourself, your team, and your attendees from phishing attacks.

What is phishing?

Phishing is a type of cybercrime in which scammers attempt to trick users into sharing sensitive information like passwords or credit card numbers. They'll pretend to be someone trustworthy, like a well-known brand or even your event itself, and ask people to complete an action (e.g., clicking a link, verify your account information) that ultimately leaks sensitive data to them.

Phishing attacks happen through various methods, like sending emails, phone calls, texts, and social media messages. When it comes to events, a scammer may pretend to be your ticketing provider, ask you to reenter your password, and get you to click a link with malicious code. They may even pose as your event to try to sell fake event tickets to people. Recognizing these tactics is key to staying protected!

Why should event organizers be aware of phishing?

If you're an event organizer, it’s essential that you educate yourself on how to avoid phishing attacks. This is because you're handling sensitive data like names, emails, financial details, or even addresses as you make money from revenue streams like ticket sales, donations, and merch. Luckily, if you're with a secure ticketing solution like TicketLeap, that data is safe with us!

However, you still have to be on the look out for bad actors pretending to be your ticketing platform in an attempt to gain access to your account's login information and exploit the data once they're inside. If you're not careful, phishing attacks can interrupt your ticket sales, compromise people's personal or financial information, hurt your reputation, or even lead to identity theft. Educating yourself, your team, and your attendees about phishing is critical to ensuring everyone stays safe!

What types of phishing should ticket buyers look out for?

If you're an attendee, be on the look out for phishing schemes like a fake email masquerading as an event you're planning to attend or wanting to buy tickets to. The more well-known the event, the more likely phishing attempts like ticket scams are possible. As a general rule, always purchase from the event's official website and communicate with their team directly.

How to identify phishing attacks

Catch phishing scams before they catch you! Here are the red flags of suspicious emails to watch out for.

1. Incorrect sender email address

Always double check the “From” address and “Reply-To” fields in an email. Phishing emails might use a fake reply address that doesn't match the original sender's “From” email address. If these don’t match, that’s a sign the email is likely illegitimate. Scammers will often also create addresses that look legitimate but contain subtle variations, like using extra punctuation, hyphens, or misspelled domain names. For example, they may replace an “o” with “0” or use “r” and “n” instead of a “m”.

As we mention in this help article, if you ever get an email from TicketLeap, the email will always be from @ticketleap.com, @ticketleap.events, or @leapevent.tech. Any other email alterations (e.g., [email protected] or [email protected]) are from scammers. When in doubt, reach out to our team at [email protected]!

2. Suspicious links or attachments

Hover your mouse over any links in emails to see where they’ll actually take you before clicking. When in doubt, don't click it! Phishing links may look like they lead to a trusted site but instead direct you to a fake webpage designed to steal your credentials. Likewise, avoid downloading unexpected attachments or engaging with unexpected pop ups — they could contain malware!

3. Urgent language

Be wary of emails that pressure you with urgency to take some immediate action on your account, like “Your account has been locked! Act now to restore it.” When an email asks you to take unexpected actions like reentering your password or verifying your account details, think before you click! While a legitimate company may send these kinds of emails to help you secure your account, make sure you double check the sender’s email (e.g., @ticketleap.com) and the links before moving forward. When you get messages like this, it's a good idea to verify this email through official channels (e.g., by contacting the company directly using a trusted contact method) before taking any action.

4. Spelling and grammatical errors

Look out for emails riddled with awkward phrasing, spelling issues, or grammatical mistakes. Another red flag? The language of the email is rather generic. Reputable organizations take care to ensure their communication is professional and error-free.

Phishing Email Examples

For an event organizer, a fake email may look like this one below. Someone is pretending to be TicketLeap, asking you for a refund, but in reality they want you to click a malicious link. Notice how the link is not even our ticketleap.events link, and when you hover over it, it takes you somewhere completely different.

For ticket buyers, be cautious of phishing emails that appear to come from the actual event but are actual fake emails designed to steal your personal information. These scams might ask you to "confirm your payment details," click on a link to "retrieve your tickets," or provide login credentials to access your account. Be wary of urgent language, unfamiliar email addresses, or attachments, as these are common red flags in phishing attempts.

How to protect your business from phishing scams

Want to know the secret on how to prevent phishing attacks? Stay proactive! Here are six security habits that'll ensure your events stay protected:

1. Use secure passwords

Short passwords are a thing of the past! Opt for long, random strings of text (more than 16 characters) with mixed-case letters, numbers, and symbols. Consider pass-phrases like “GiraffeBaristaCoffeeDragon!” with 4-7 unrelated words strung together into a memorable phrase. Make sure you use unique passwords - don't reuse your passwords for multiple accounts! We don't expect you to remember all of them though. Use a password manager like 1Password, Dashlane, or NordPass to store them all so you only have to remember one master password!

2. Set up two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection to your account, requiring both a password and a time-sensitive verification code sent to an external device via a phone number or authenticator app. This should be set up on all your accounts that provide this option, especially those with access to sensitive business data, such as emails and banking account numbers. This includes your TicketLeap account! As you can learn about in this help article, we offer this feature to ensure your data stays secure with us.

3. Never provide personal information to unverified sources

A good rule of thumb: If you did not initiate the conversation, you very likely shouldn't provide them with any sensitive or confidential information. This includes passwords, account numbers, and your social security number. Even if the email looks real, most companies will not ask for this type of information in this way. When in doubt, contact the organization or event organizer themselves to verify if this message is legitimate. You should also log into your online accounts directly through their website rather than clicking the links provided.

4. Educate your team and attendees

For event organizers, make phishing awareness part of your training process when hiring new staff. Additionally, share tips and resources with your attendees (like this blog!) through email or social media to inform them about the danger of phishing attacks. When selling your tickets online, clearly state what the link to your ticketing page is (such as ticketleap.events) and anything else is incorrect. It could also help to have information on your website to clarify that tickets are only valid when purchased directly from your website, and not from a third party.

5. Keep your computer updated and protected

Install anti-virus software to fill any security patches and provide an extra barrier from malicious files. Always make sure this stays updated, and make sure to keep your web browsers up-to-date too! It's also best that you don't save any passwords and other sensitive data (e.g., credit cards, addresses) directly in your browser, but instead store them in your password manager as an extension on your browser.

6. Report suspicious emails

The moment you catch any phishing emails or suspect suspicious activity, report it! Don’t open links or download any attachments. Instead, mark the emails as spam, delete them, and (when possible) alert the company affiliated with that request through another form of communication. For example, if you were to receive any suspicious requests that appear to be from TicketLeap, contact our support team to verify the request or to confirm that it's actually from one of many known phishing sites.

What to do if your account gets compromised

If you're a victim of a phishing attack, you'll need to act quickly to restore your accounts. Here are vital steps for you to take:

• Notify the company of your compromised account. You need to also notify your IT team if this attack is affiliated with work or school-related accounts.
• Update all your passwords on any affected accounts, plus any additional accounts that use the same password.
• Set up two-factor authentication on your accounts if you haven't already.
• Record as many details as you can about the phishing attack (This will be important for reporting purposes later, especially if law enforcement needs to get involved).
• If you lost money or face identity theft because of the phishing attack, report it to your local law enforcement and share the details you recorded.

Wondering if you've been successfully phished? Here are the signs to look out for:

• Unable to log into your accounts
• Abnormal charges to your bank account
• Strange accounts appearing on your monthly statements or credit report
• Denial of your credit card

If you think your TicketLeap account was compromised, contact TicketLeap’s support team as soon as possible and we’ll work with you to restore your account!

How TicketLeap helps you avoid phishing scams

When event organizers use TicketLeap to sell their tickets, they can have peace of mind that they're in safe hands! When it comes to handling your payment information or your ticket buyers' financial information, we use Stripe, an industry-leading payment processor for maximum data security. Plus, within our full suite of features, two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection to your TicketLeap account. We also have a comprehensive help center with tons of resources to empower you on your event journey (including keeping your account safe!). Our rockstar support team is always here to help you as well!

However, even with these measures in place, it's still up to you to keep an eye out for phishing scams that may try to trick you into providing them your login information. By following the tips in this blog on how to prevent phishing scams, you're better equipped to stop these schemes in their tracks.

If you suspect phishing or you think your TicketLeap account may have been compromised, contact our support team immediately.