Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal, Hyderabad.
Hyderabad: Ahead of the IPL match between Sunrisers Hyderabad and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Friday, May 22 , at the Uppal Stadium, the Malkajgiri police has warned public against fake match tickets.
The Malkajgiri Commissioner of Police B Sumathi issued an advisory stating, “Cyber fraudsters are exploiting the high public demand for IPL tickets by creating fake ticket booking websites and duplicate apps sharing fraudulent booking links through social media including WhatsApp, Facebook and X”
She added that fraudsters try to cheat by offering “VIP”, “Tatkal”, “last-minute”, or “discounted” tickets collecting payments through UPI, QR codes, bank transfers, and fake payment gateways and sending fake screenshots and fabricated booking confirmations.
The commissioner stressed that the District app by Zomato is the official partner for IPL tickets and urged people not to trust dubious websites.
“The Cyber Crime Police, Malkajgiri, are actively monitoring such fraudulent activities and appropriate legal action will be initiated against persons involved in online ticket scams and phishing activities, the officials warned,” read the advisory.
The Telangana Cyber Security Bureau (TGCSB) also issued a warning against cyber criminials offering IPL match tickets through dubious links via social media.
“Cybercriminals are luring victims with fake VIP, VVIP passes, heavy discounts, and last-minute ticket offers for IPL matches. In many cases, fraudsters collect money through UPI, QR codes, or bank transfers and either share fake tickets or disappear after receiving payment,” Shikha Goel, Director, TGCSB said in a statement.
Echoing the Malkajgiri Commissioner of Police, Goel also said that the District app is the official ticket partner of the IPL.
The TGCSB highlighted markers to identify the fraudulent ticket links such as “heavy discounts on sold-out matches,” “Only few tickets left” pressure tactics, personal UPI IDs instead of official payment gateways, fake booking confirmations, edited payment receipts, and newly created social media pages with low followers.
TGCSB also urged the public to ensure safety before making the payment.
The cyber security bureau suggested verification of website URLs before making payment, avoid buying tickets from unknown agents or social media sellers, and never share OTPs, banking credentials or screenshots.
The bureau also encouraged the public to report victims or suspicious cases immediately by dialling Cyber Crime Helpline 1930 or register complaints at cybercrime.gov.in. TGCSB requested citizens to stay alert and verify before making any online ticket purchase.
This post was last modified on May 21, 2026 2:42 pm