RUGBY FANS HAVE been warned of a spike in fake tickets being sold ahead of the Argentina V Ireland match at the Aviva Stadium on Friday.

The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) is encouraging people to exercise “extreme caution”, as it has heard reports of fraudulent digital ticket sales.

These come from unauthorised websites often promoted on social media.

A number of high-demand rugby matches are coming up, including the November Nations Championship games and Guinness Men’s Six Nations fixtures next year against England and France.

Supporters who get scammed may only become aware of it when they receive confirmation emails lacking key information, such as entry route and seating allocation, which would let them see where their ticket is for.

Aoife Clarke, the IRFU’s director of communications, said the sites can be “highly convincing”.

Fans are advised to only buy tickets through Ticketmaster or Ticketmaster’s Irish Rugby Account Manager.

“If a website claims to have Irish Rugby tickets available but is not one of these authorised sources, supporters should avoid making a purchase,” Clarke says. Tickets obtained through unauthorised sellers will be invalid and cannot be used for entry.

Fans who believe they may have purchased fraudulent tickets are encouraged to contact their bank immediately to see if they can dispute the transaction. They can also report it to An Garda Síochána.

The IRFU says it’s been working with gardaí to have unauthorised sellers’ websites and advertisements removed from the internet.

“We understand how disappointing and frustrating this situation can be for supporters who are excited about attending an Ireland match,” Clarke said.

“If supporters have reason to believe their tickets are not genuine, we would strongly encourage them not to travel to Aviva Stadium on match day in the expectation of gaining entry. Taking action early is the best way to avoid further inconvenience and disappointment.”