“Men really need to get out more”: Women outspend men online by $300 million dollars for ticketed events

Women spent $300 million dollars more than men on tickets for things like movies and shows in 2015, according to research by Roy Morgan.

The research body estimated that consumers spent a whopping $2.5 billion dollars worth in online tickets last year.

Data from the sample also revealed that the biggest splurgers were 35-49 year-olds who clicked to buy over one billion dollars worth of tickets. Roy Morgan suggested this number was highest due to people in the age bracket buying tickets for the whole family instead of one or two.

“Event ticketing is one slice of consumers’ discretionary expenditure that has quickly and largely shifted to online,” said Michele Levine from Roy Morgan Research.

“But perhaps men really need to get out more, being outnumbered by women at nearly all events, including the movies, theatre, concerts, galleries, museums and zoos,” she said.

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While using a credit card to buy tickets via the internet is convenient, consumers are being warned now more than ever to watch out for online scammers taking every opportunity to hack into unsuspecting users’ bank accounts.

In just one of many examples, two weeks ago banking app users were being targeted in a malicious file campaign to catch personal information via urls that mimicked those of the big banks’.

If you count yourself one of the countless Aussies using your credit or debit card to pay for events online, here are handy tips to help you stay safe on the net:

• Always choose trusted sites when buying tickets for events online. Most credit card providers will cover you if you become a victim of cybercrime (as long as you notify them immediately of any suspicious activity), but you still shouldn’t volunteer your account details out to any old ticketing website.
• Before you click “confirm” on a ticketing site for the next play or music concert you want to go to, take a moment to check the url first. If looks a little unusual and you are in doubt, don’t go ahead with the transaction. Exit your browser and try again with your security software switched on. Also see the government website Scam Watch.
• If you carry your plastic with you wherever you go, consider buying a safety wallet or card holder to prevent “skimming”, a technique criminals use to catch the credit card information of passers by in public places.
• Always look for the padlock symbol located before the url, or check that the starts with HTTPS. This means it is more likely to be a legitimate one.
• Avoid using public WiFi for making online purchases. Stick to your own private mobile network.