GUILTY: “Clear Signal to Ticket Scammers Around the World”

3/10/2010

The house of cards is beginning to fall on Olympic ticket scammers and no one is more pleased than Jim Moriarty. Since the Beijing Olympics, Moriarty Leyendecker has been stoking investigative fires to draw attention to the distribution system for Olympic tickets. 

A High Court judge has found three people guilty in a civil case relating to the Beijing Olympic Games internet ticketing scam. In a judgment handed down today, Justice Tugendhat found Xclusive Leisure and Hospitality Ltd guilty of deceit and conspiring to injure by unlawful means. The men who operated the company were also made personally liable for the company's debts.

Thousands of fans lost nearly $3 million in this particular Olympic ticket scam. Those hurt most egregiously are the family and friends of Olympic athletes, who were desperate to obtain tickets to see their children and friends compete. This court case is a small consolation to someone who missed the event and lost their money.  But, the case is a step in the right direction and sends a clear message that justice will be served.

Until the International Olympic Committee (IOC) manages the event ticketing process in a fair and reputable manner, the court systems may be the only course of action for those who were left holding a ticket promise that was not fulfilled. The time for the IOC to do something constructive is now - before the London 2012 Olympics.