Warning over fake 2012 websites

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Fake websites have been set up claiming to sell tickets for London's 2012 Olympics despite none being available until 2011, a consumer group has found.

Which? Computing said the sites could be used to gain personal and financial details and to commit identity fraud.

It called for stronger regulation to prevent such sites being set up.

The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (Locog) said tickets to the Games will only be available from 2011 via official channels.

'Con men'

Which? Computing found that bogus sites can be easily set up for as little as £7.

A spokesman for the group said: "Criminals are limbering up for a spate of Olympic-related crime.

"Several websites are, amazingly, already promising tickets that don't exist. There needs to be much stronger regulation of this area to stop con men running off with our money."

In the UK there is currently no regulation as to who can register a website domain name, unlike some other European countries and the US.

However it is illegal to sell fake 2012 tickets in the UK, Olympic organisers said.

A Locog spokesman said: "We will work closely with the police and other public authorities to ensure these laws are enforced."

He added: "Any company or individual claiming to be selling or reserving tickets now is not a legitimate source."

One in 12 ticket buyers in the UK have lost out to fake ticket websites, according to the Office of Fair Trading.