Businesses can defeat ticket-scalpers in 2025 – 9 ways here

Businesses can defeat ticket-scalpers in 2025 – 9 ways here

Ticket scalping has become a growing challenge for businesses in the events industry, with bots and resellers making it increasingly difficult to ensure fair access for genuine customers. High-profile cases, such as fans struggling to secure tickets for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour, highlight the financial and reputational impact scalping can have on businesses.¹  As bots evolve to bypass traditional defenses, the problem extends beyond event organizers, affecting the broader business ecosystem. 

So, how can businesses protect their operations and customers from scalping? The experts at Indusface offer insights into effective strategies to safeguard ticket sales and maintain customer trust.

Venky Sundar, founder and president of Indusface, provides tips on how businesses can protect themselves from ticket scalpers:

1. Utilise AI anti-bot measures

AI-driven bot detection and defense mechanisms can play a crucial part in protecting ticketing systems. Protecting ticketing systems from bots requires advanced measures, as traditional CAPTCHAs are increasingly ineffective against modern threats, but advanced measures like behavioral analysis, device fingerprinting, and machine learning offer more robust solutions. AI-powered systems can distinguish human users from bots by monitoring user behavior, such as keystrokes, mouse movements, and touchscreen gestures, while also tracking automation signals like rapid clicks or repeated requests from the same IP address. Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security, making it harder for bots to complete transactions. 

Rate limiting caps the number of requests an IP or user can make, while device fingerprinting identifies and blocks bots based on unique device characteristics. Honeypots, hidden traps that target bots without impacting genuine users, provide additional protection. These strategies should minimize false positives, analyze all traffic comprehensively, and adapt continuously to evolving bot tactics. 

By combining these approaches, businesses can safeguard ticket availability and ensure fair access for legitimate buyers.

2. Use AI ticketing technology

Advanced ticketing technology is a vital tool in the fight against scalping, offering innovative features to secure ticket sales and enhance customer experiences. Though a controversial practice, dynamic pricing uses AI to adjust ticket costs in real time based on demand, reducing the incentive for scalpers to buy in bulk. Blockchain technology can be used to create tamper-proof, traceable tickets that verify ownership and prevent unauthorized resale. 

AI can be used to personalize tickets to individuals, such as secure barcodes or QR codes that refresh frequently to ensure tickets cannot be duplicated or reused. Additionally, integrating AI-driven fraud detection into ticketing systems could enhance security in ways such as tracking purchasing behavior and flagging unusual transactions, detecting multiple purchases from recognizing IP addresses, recognizing inconsistencies in the buyer’s geographical locations, and recognize patterns of indicative bot activity. 

3. Implement ID checks at the venue

Requiring ID checks at events is an effective way to combat ticket scalping by ensuring tickets are used by the original purchaser or an authorized attendee. Tickets can be issued with the buyer’s name, requiring a matching photo ID at entry, or linked to verified digital accounts with scannable IDs. This prevents unauthorized resales, holds buyers accountable, and reduces fraud by invalidating fake or duplicate tickets. It also builds trust among customers by ensuring a fairer ticketing process. To maximize efficiency, organizers should communicate ID requirements upfront, allow flexible but verified ticket transfers, and streamline checks using barcode scanners or RFID tags to minimize delays.

4. Monitor secondary markets

Monitoring secondary ticket marketplaces is essential for combating scalping and ensuring fair access for genuine buyers. Scalpers often resell tickets at inflated prices on resale platforms, which can damage an event’s reputation and frustrate customers. Businesses can address this by implementing AI systems that can regularly scan these platforms, using tools to flag suspicious listings, and cross-checking resale tickets with original buyer data to identify unauthorized transfers. 

Partnering with authorized resale platforms can provide a safe environment for legitimate transactions while enforcing price caps and removing unauthorized listings helps maintain fair pricing. Educating customers about the risks of buying from unauthorized sources further protects them and builds trust. Proactive monitoring and response deter scalpers and uphold the integrity of the ticketing process.

5. Limiting ticket purchases

Limiting the number of tickets an individual can purchase is an effective way to prevent scalpers from hoarding tickets for resale. Setting a cap, such as four to six tickets per buyer, makes it harder for scalpers to acquire large quantities and ensures fairer distribution among genuine buyers. Requiring verified accounts linked to unique emails or payment methods strengthens this measure, allowing businesses to monitor buying patterns and flag suspicious activity. Geographic restrictions, like prioritizing local buyers, add an extra layer of protection by reducing access for international scalpers. These measures create a fairer ticketing system while preserving the integrity of the sales process.

6. Utilize data analytics

Leveraging data analytics helps detect and prevent ticket scalping by identifying suspicious buyer behavior and patterns. AI tools can monitor real-time sales to flag bulk purchases, rapid transactions, or activity from proxy IPs, while geographic analysis can reveal anomalies like excessive purchases from distant regions. 

Predictive analytics and machine learning further enhance detection by analyzing historical trends and adapting to new scalping tactics. Analytics also enable the segmentation of genuine buyers from potential scalpers, allowing businesses to take targeted actions, such as canceling flagged transactions or adding verification steps. This ensures greater security and fairer access for legitimate customers.

7. Partner with reputable ticketing partners

Partnering with reputable ticketing platforms is an effective way to combat scalping and improve the ticketing process. These platforms often include anti-scalping features, like price caps on resales, advanced bot prevention, and secure ticket transfer options. They also offer robust identity verification systems to ensure tickets are tied to genuine buyers. By providing transparent and authorized resale channels, these platforms give customers confidence in ticket authenticity. 

Working with trusted platforms allows businesses to focus on their events while leveraging the platform’s expertise to reduce scalping risks, protect ticket availability, and maintain a positive customer experience.

8. Implement queuing systems

Implementing virtual queuing systems is an effective way to manage high-demand ticket sales and reduce scalping. These systems organize buyers into a queue, releasing tickets gradually to prevent bots from overwhelming the platform and slowing down traffic as a result. Advanced queuing software can monitor user activity in real-time, identifying and blocking automated or suspicious behavior while ensuring genuine customers have a smooth purchasing experience. By regulating website traffic during peak demand, virtual queues also help prevent crashes and improve platform stability.

9. Utilise an AI-powered marketing strategy

Use AI to optimize marketing and sales strategies by prioritizing genuine fans by segmenting customers based on preferences and purchase history. Leverage AI-driven insights to create targeted marketing campaigns for specific user segments and consider implementing ‘verified fan’ programs that can identify and prioritize genuine fans if they’ve shown interest in the event before (i.e., signed up to a mailing list or purchased a ticket in the past), these of which can be done through advanced algorithms.