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Islanders are being warned about a new ticket reselling scam – but rather than Premier League devotees or Taylor Swift or Oasis fans, the latest targets are senior citizens hoping to attend the Parish of St Brelade's annual Christmas Lunch.
The reselling issue arose from a controversial move by the parish to begin charging £10 to attend the event.
It is the first time that the parish has charged for the event, which is open to parishioners who are 70 or over.
However, Constable Mike Jackson defended the move, saying he decided to introduce the "token charge" after there were lots of "no-shows" at last year's lunch.
The western parish's Senior Citizens Christmas Lunch 2024 was first advertised earlier this week. The events are due to take place on 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th December from 12:00 and the non-refundable £10 ticket includes a three-course lunch, drinks and entertainment.
Pictured: Mike Jackson is the Constable of St Brelade.
Islanders reacted strongly to the charge, with some saying that a donation basket rather than a set fee would have been more appropriate, that it was a "bitter blow", and whether the decision to charge had been discussed at the Parish Assembly.
Some remarked that other parishes – such as St Peter – were still offering their lunch for free.
However, Constable Jackson told Express that he had made this decision, saying: "It is a token charge, because we had quite a lot of no-shows last year and we have to pay for those lunches too because they get booked.
"It was felt that a token sum would encourage people to turn up. When something is free, people say they will go, and then choose not to."
He added that he had spoken to several parishioners who did not seem too put off by the fee, adding: "Parishioners will get more than that amount in value back."
Constable Jackson continued: "It is well-received, but when there are a dozen people that do not turn up, it's not fair on the others."
He admitted that he did "anticipate a kickback".
Shortly after the tickets went on sale, parish hall officials then released a warning about ticket scammers.
Pictured: the warning about scams posted on the St Brelade Parishioners Facebook page.
Their post read: "We have been informed that scammers are attempting to resell tickets for our upcoming Senior Citizen Lunches.
"Please be aware that tickets are not transferable – each one is individually numbered and registered to the original purchaser's name.
"Resold tickets will not be valid for entry.
"To avoid any issues, please only purchase tickets directly through our official channels. Stay safe, and help spread the word to protect our community!"
Anyone who thinks they may have been targeted by fraudsters, or fallen victim to a scam, is urged to report it to the States police on 612612.
More information about the latest scams targeting islanders, and advice on what to do, can be found on the Jersey Fraud Prevention Forum website here.
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