Police today issued a warning over the sale of bogus tickets for the 2012 Olympic Games.

As the ticketing process for the games launches today, police said the rise in the use of the Internet to purchase tickets and accommodation packages online, coupled with the huge expected demand, gave criminals new opportunities to sell non-existent tickets and steal personal and credit card details to use in other crimes.

More than eight million tickets will be made available for the Olympic Games and a further two million for the Paralympics.

The ticket process for the Olympic Games opens today and runs until April 26.

Detective Inspector Kevin Rowe, of Thames Valley Police’s Economic Crime Unit, said: “The 2012 Games will be one of the biggest sporting events this country has ever hosted, with nearly 11 million tickets available for events right across the country.

“Criminals will be looking for ways to con and steal, either through selling fake tickets or setting up professional looking sites which may look honest, but could leave you a victim.

“There is some easy-to-follow advice which will help keep you safe and ensure you can enjoy the Games next year.”

If you’re buying a ticket for the Games:

The London 2012 ticket application process opens today and you have until April 26 to apply for tickets through LOCOG as tickets are not allocated on a first come first served basis.

The only way to apply for a ticket in the UK is at www.tickets.london2012.com. This is London 2012’s official site. You can also get a postal application from any Lloyds TSB branch, or from any public library in Northern Ireland.

Don’t buy a ticket from an unauthorised website or tout. You risk being scammed, and not getting the ticket you wanted and paid for.

If you get a ticket for an event you can’t attend, you can return your ticket to get a refund through the London 2012 official ticket exchange. Your ticket will then be officially resold. Details of this will be announced in due course.

There are only three official providers for Games Breaks and Hospitality Packages in the UK. These are:

Thomas Cook - www.thomascooklondon2012.com

Prestige Travel - www.prestigeticketing.london2012.com

Jet Set Travel - www.jetsetsports.com.

Other websites or companies will not be authorised to sell you a ticket as part of a package in the UK. Always check the terms and conditions to see exactly what you are being sold:

Outside of the UK London 2012 tickets are sold through the country’s National Olympic Committee, or their authorised retailer.

If you find tickets being made available from any unauthorised source at anytime, don’t buy them. They are not genuine. Report it to your local police, or London 2012 via brandprotection@london2012.com

The official Olympics website has launched a website checker which provides users with assurances as to whether they are using an authorised ticket reseller. The checker can be found at http://www.london2012.com/about-this-website/ticketing-website-checker.php