Nearly 100 arrested over fake Olympic tickets scam

PanARMENIAN.Net - Nearly 100 people have been arrested for selling fake tickets and bogus hotel rooms ahead of the London Olympics.

With some six months to go before Britain's largest-ever planned security operation, Home Secretary Theresa May said police had arrested 97 people in scams involving tickets, fake Olympic websites and nonexistent hotel rooms.

The demand for tickets and hotels in London during the July 27-Aug 12 games has been huge — some rooms are going for more than 600 pounds per night (nearly $1,000).

"Police are sending a very clear message that we're not going to tolerate intrusions by organized criminals into the Olympic Games," May said during a speech at the Royal United Services Institute in London, a British security think-tank.

London police said the tickets involved in the scam were phony, AP reported.