Thousands of fans were stuck outside last night’s State of Origin decider after they learnt their tickets had been compromised by hackers or scalpers.
Nicola Healey and her 11-year-old boy Carter thought they were off to see his heroes at Suncorp Stadium.
But the pair were turned away at the door after hackers accessed her tickets online.
Scalpers were also running amok, preying on heightened emotions.
Around 2000 people had their entry blocked after their tickets were identified as having been resold for a higher price.
Suncorp Stadium General Manager Alan Graham said it was sad to see people taking advantage of Queensland’s passion for sport.
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“The ultimate decision was, look, we will reactivate barcodes and let people in,” he said.
But there was nothing the stadium or the NRL could do for fans like the Finley family, who bought fake tickets from an unauthorised reseller.
A counterfeit ticket, compared to a real one, shows that the fakes do not have an Origin logo or sale price.
Authorities say the best way to secure your seat for events like this is to buy your ticket through an authorised seller, and don’t share its details online.
“People see something that looks like a good deal and then are attracted by that, so a lot of caution needs to be applied in terms of the online space,” a Queensland Police spokesperson said.
