A website selling Rugby World Cup tickets has been shut down by authorities after a consumer group warned that it appeared to be breaching tournament rules and flouting the law.
The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has closed down getsporting.com after suspending its phone line in August following a warning by Which? that it believed the site was operating unlawfully.
The site was not registered as an official Rugby World Cup 2015 re-selling site and was offering tickets for sold-out matches such as England v Australia at a cost of £500, as well as tickets for the final for almost £1,800, Which? said.
The Which? investigation also found the website was offering up to 10 tickets for certain games. The official allowance is four.
It concluded that consumers were unlikely to receive tickets or could receive fake ones after looking into the company's track record and several online review sites.
Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: "It's a win for Which? and rugby fans alike that the authorities have acted on our tip-off and shut this scam site down.
"The Rugby World Cup 2015 is an ideal time for dodgy dealers to try to make a fast buck, so this enforcement action sends the right message to scammers."
Rugby World Cup 2015 has set up its own tool for people to check whether the site they are buying from is an official registered vendor: www.rugbyworldcup.com/buyofficial
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