Thousands of young football fans in the UK fell victim to ticketing fraud last season, with criminals taking advantage of their eagerness to secure Premier League tickets, according to a report by Lloyds Bank.
The bank estimated that around 6,000 fans were scammed, with more than half of the victims being between 18 and 34 years old. Fans lost an average of £177, but some were duped out of over £1,000.
The scams typically involved criminals creating fake posts on social media or online marketplaces advertising non-existent tickets, often using pictures of real tickets to deceive buyers. Once the victim made a payment, usually via bank transfer, the fraudster disappeared, leaving the fan with nothing in return.
Lloyds Bank urged fans to be cautious and stick to official ticketing channels to avoid falling victim to scams. They also advised fans to be wary of deals that seem too good to be true and to use credit cards for purchases between £100 and £30,000 for added protection.
The banking industry group UK Finance called on social media companies to take more action to prevent fraud on their platforms and warned fans to be vigilant. They emphasized the importance of stopping and thinking before parting with any money, as fraudsters often try to rush or panic victims into making a decision.
The Premier League also advised fans to purchase tickets directly from clubs or authorized ticket partners to avoid falling prey to scams. Last year, customers lost nearly £86 million to “purchase scams”, with the majority of scams originating online.
Tech and social media companies, including Facebook owner Meta and X, were urged to step up and tackle criminal activity on their platforms and contribute to reimbursing victims of fraud.
