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Fake ticket merchants are already emerging for the 2012 London Olympics.ÌýAs a result, the Twenty Twelve team offer up their advice to prevent being fooled by fake tickets...

Where can I purchase my tickets from?

DO: Apply for tickets online by visiting the ticketing section of the official ODC website, which you can find simply by typing the following internet address into your web browser:

https://www.odc2012.co.uk/2012/webforms/ticketing/ticketrequest/cache/ab?28978hg-6711hht_exch.pdf

Once there, just complete the simple 15-step process to register your interest in the concept of buying a ticket, and we'll call you back.

DON'T: Buy tickets from other websites, friends, relatives, competing athletes (it happens) or people in the street. Be warned: some fraudsters will show you official looking ID with words such as 'Official 2012 ticket seller' printed on them. Do not be fooled by the use of the word 'official' - these IDs are not real and nor are the people holding them. REMEMBER: anyone can spell 'oficial'.

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How do I spot a fake ticket?

Genuine 2012 tickets benefit from state-of-the-art anti-fraud technology, including watermarking, holograms, lasers and nice paper. However, fraudsters are becoming increasingly high-tech in their methods, and it is not always easy to spot a fake. Here are just a few things to watch out for:

Holograms

Genuine 2012 tickets will feature a hologram of Boris Johnson. On fake tickets it might just be a photo, a drawing, or worst of all, no Boris at all. Check your ticket carries a genuine hologram. If the hologram is genuine it will look like Boris is really looking at you. If Boris isn't looking at you, call the police.

Dates

Check the date of the event printed on the ticket. All the events in the 2012 Olympics will take place in the year 2012. If your ticket features an event date from any other year (i.e.: 2008, 2020, 1983, 1901, 2013, etc.) then it is almost certainly either a fake or from a different Olympics.

Detail

Always pay attention to the detail on your tickets. Note how the word 'twelve' has been misspelt in the picture above right - this is a sure sign of a fake. Other commonly misspelt words include 'athletic', 'committee', 'miscellaneous' and 'Judaism', although none of these words appear on 2012 tickets (except for 'Judaism').

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What should I do if I am sold a fake ticket?

Don't panic. There are a number of options open to you:

OPTION ONE: Put it down to experience and try not to do it again.

OPTION TWO: Try returning your ticket to the tout or touts from whom you purchased it. Though anecdotal evidence suggests that full refunds are 'relatively rare'.

OPTION THREE: Sell it on to someone else. The ODC in no way condones the illegal recirculation of fake tickets... But, technically, it is an option.

(c) 2012 Olympic Deliverance Committee 2011

How To Spot A Fake Ticket was written by Larry Rickard.

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Twenty Twelve continues every Monday evening at 10pm on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Four.