LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Rugby League fans and AFL fans are being urged to stay vigilant as ticket scams continue to be a concern during the finals season.
Government officials have been busy removing dozens of fraudulent listings from resale platforms on a daily basis.
Despite this, fans are still turning to social media in a bid to secure tickets for the highly anticipated AFL semi-final between Melbourne and Carlton.
Demand for finals tickets has been unprecedented, with general public tickets for the game selling out within minutes.
The AFL's first week of finals saw a record-breaking attendance of almost 290,000 fans, with stadiums almost at full capacity for three out of four matches.
NRL fans also faced ticket shortages due to the league's policy of allowing first-week finals to be played at suburban stadiums.
To combat ticket scalping, Victorian government officials have been closely monitoring platforms such as eBay, Gumtree, Ticket Merchant, Viagogo, and StubHub.
In the first week of finals alone, they removed 169 listings for AFL tickets.
Under Victorian law, it is illegal to advertise or resell AFL finals tickets for more than 10% of their original purchase price.
Minister for Sport, Steve Dimopoulos, emphasized the importance of fair pricing for footy fans, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to support their favorite teams during the finals.