Venues across the United Kingdom have issued urgent warnings to Halloween enthusiasts after a fraudulent company sold tickets to non-existent "scarefest" events across nine cities. Halloween Nights Fear, the operator behind the scheme, has advertised 10 events spanning England, Scotland and Wales, yet three confirmed host venues have stated the listings are entirely fabricated.
Tickets for the events, which were scheduled to run from 20 October until 1 November 2026, were priced between £14 and £140. The fraudulent website, launched in July, promised attractions including "candle-lit ghost hunts, haunted houses, after-dark walks and scare mazes" at locations in London, Liverpool, Bristol, Southampton, Leicester, Salford, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Swansea.
Cardiff Castle, Bradgate Park in Leicester, Transport for London and the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh have all confirmed that the events advertised at their venues are counterfeit. The operators of the remaining six listed locations have been contacted but have not yet responded. Despite extensive searching, no evidence of these events exists outside the company's website.
How sophisticated is the scam?
Technology expert David McClelland, who appears on a consumer protection programme, described the website as one of the most convincing fraudulent sites he has encountered. The site contains extensive content, numerous images and detailed descriptions—features that distinguish it from typical shallow scam websites.
"The website looks so convincing. It's one of the most impressive scams I've seen - there's so much content on there. Sometimes one of the tells that you might expect from a scam or a fake website is that they're quite shallow - there isn't very much text or there aren't very many pictures. But this Halloween Nights Fear website is huge."
McClelland suggested that artificial intelligence was likely employed to generate the website's convincing appearance. Upon close examination, certain images display telltale indicators of AI generation, though these signs are not immediately obvious to most visitors.
"What I think has happened here is that the scammers are employing artificial intelligence to create these sophisticated, impressive looking websites. When you look closely at some of the images on this website, there are some of the tell-tale signs that they are artificial intelligence-generated. But when you really start to peel away beneath the covers, it does start to fall apart, but you've really got to know what you're looking at. I would think that for the majority of people who come across this website, it shows everything that you would expect to see that tells you that it's real."
McClelland warned that scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their methods, with AI technology enabling them to create deceptive online presences that fool ordinary consumers.
What red flags has the company shown?
According to Trading Standards investigations, the website displays multiple warning signs of fraudulent activity. The telephone number listed on the site does not function, the business address appears inauthentic, and the domain was registered only recently. Additionally, Halloween Nights Fear is not registered with Companies House, and the company has recently deleted its social media profiles.
When the BBC attempted to contact Halloween Nights Fear directly, the provided phone number was not recognised, and the company has failed to respond to email inquiries.
What are venues saying?
James Dymond, director at Bradgate Park in Leicester, expressed serious concern about the impact on consumers who have already purchased tickets to the fraudulent event.
"It's a huge concern for all of the different venues. For us, we suffer no direct loss from this but what we recognise is that it's individuals buying tickets who are going to be put at risk of losing their money. All we can say to people is check with us, check our social media and our website first. If there is an event here that we are running or that we're sanctioning someone else to run, it will be there."
A spokesperson for the Royal Highland Centre in Edinburgh clarified that a legitimate Halloween event, Pumpkins After Dark Edinburgh, will take place at the venue from 9–31 October 2026, but tickets must be purchased only through the centre's official website or the event's dedicated ticketing channels.
"The site isn't affiliated with or authorised by us. For clarity, Pumpkins After Dark Edinburgh is a new Halloween experience event taking place at the Royal Highland Centre from 9–31 October 2026. Tickets can be purchased through the centre's official website or directly via the Pumpkins After Dark website. To ensure you get a genuine ticket, please purchase only through our official ticketing channels. If something doesn't look right, please contact us before you buy. For anyone who may have already purchased tickets via another site other than the centre's or the event's directly, we advise you to contact your payment provider and report the transaction."
Cardiff Castle similarly warned potential customers in a social media post that the advertised event is not affiliated with the castle and will not take place there.
What action is being taken?
Leicestershire Trading Standards has requested that the website be deactivated and has begun steps to contact the website operator. The authority has advised anyone who purchased tickets to contact their bank immediately to discuss potential recovery options.
Affected consumers can also seek guidance from the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133, which shares information with Trading Standards to help identify patterns of fraud.
Is this part of a wider problem?
This scam is not an isolated incident. In August, Burton Constable Hall and Temple Newsam issued similar warnings after unauthorised Halloween events were advertised at their venues by a different fraudulent website, Haunted Halloween Escape, indicating that venue operators face recurring threats from scammers exploiting popular seasonal events.
Key Facts
- Halloween Nights Fear advertised 10 fake events across nine UK cities with ticket prices ranging from £14 to £140
- Technology experts believe artificial intelligence was used to create the convincing website, which launched in July
- The company is not registered with Companies House, has deleted its social media accounts, and its listed phone number does not work
- Anyone who purchased tickets should contact their bank immediately and can seek advice from Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 0808 223 1133
- Similar scams targeting venue operators have occurred previously, with other fraudulent Halloween event websites emerging in recent months
