Exactly 1.5 million tickets went on sale to the public this morning and will be available until September 26 via the online random ballot system, which is the same as the one used for the Olympics this year meaning that there is no advantage in applying early.

However, there are fears that fraudsters could attempt to sell fake 2012 Paralympic tickets to unsuspecting individuals and Detective Chief Inspector Nick Downing - who is in charge of Operation Podium - has offered advice that will help the public avoid being scammed, conned or having their personal details stolen.

"We have already seen huge demand for Olympic tickets and that gives criminals greater opportunity to run scams, sell non-existent tickets and even steal your personal and credit card details to use in other crimes," he told insideworldparasport.

"Now that Paralympic tickets are on sale, I urge people not to get caught out and to make sure the ticket you buy is real.

"In the UK the only official place to apply for tickets is through the London 2012 application process.

"Stay on the London 2012 official website, which is www.tickets.london2012.com, because that is the only place you can go online to get real tickets.

"You can also apply with a paper application form within the official ticketing guide and application form from any Lloyds TSB branch, Bank of Scotland branch in Scotland or from any public library in Northern Ireland."

"But the key is obviously to stay away from any websites that are not official because that will put you in the biggest danger of being scammed.

"We are watching closely for anyone trying to con the public through ticketing scams and they will be prosecuted when caught but the public can help us by staying aware."

Outside of the UK, London 2012 Paralympic Games tickets will be sold through the countries' National Paralympic Committee or their authorised ticket retailer.

Ticket prices were announced earlier this year with a wide range of prices and ticket initiatives on offer.

Prices start at £10 ($16/€12) for adults and £5 ($8/€6) for those who are 16 or under and 60 or over on 29 August 2012.

Tickets for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies will start at £20.12 ($33.15/€23.32) with a top end price of £500 ($824/€580) for the Opening Ceremony.

A Games Travelcard, for use on the day of the event on public transport in zones 1-9 in London and for travel between London and Eton Dorney and Brands Hatch, is included within the price of a ticket.

"The Paralympic Games are coming home in 2012 and I'm confident that the whole country will get behind them," said London 2012 chair Sebastian Coe.

"Alongside the Games come a whole range of opportunities.

"People will have the chance to see sport like never before, with world class athletes who challenge the notion of 'disability'; it's a huge opportunity for Paralympic sport to become part of the nation's consciousness and finally, it will be a moment of extraordinary pride.

"A fitting end to what promises to be an amazing summer."

As with the Olympic Games, wheelchair spaces will be available in all price categories for every Paralympic sport, subject to availability and a companion seat is included in the price.

Applicants who are deaf, or have a hearing impairment, are visually impaired or have limited mobility can indicate that they have an additional accessibility requirement and every effort will be made to seat them accordingly.

International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Sir Philip Craven President added: "The foundations for what could be the most successful Paralympic Games ever have been laid in London and the demand for tickets so far has been unprecedented.

"These Games are an opportunity to drive societal change and create a legacy for this country that was first started in 1948 at Stoke Mandeville."

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