Lloyds Bank estimates that thousands of young people in the UK were duped into paying for fake Premier League football tickets last season.
The bank reported a significant increase in ticketing fraud, with cases up by approximately a third compared to the previous year, and advised fans to remain vigilant.
UK Finance, a banking industry group, noted that tickets for football matches sell out quickly, creating opportunities for scammers to exploit eager fans seeking deals.
The group also called on social media platforms to take stronger measures against fraud and urged consumers to stay cautious.
Lloyds Bank estimated that around 6,000 UK football fans fell victim to ticket scams last season, based on an analysis of its fraud data and the bank’s market share, which is about 20% of UK current accounts. This suggests that at least 1,200 of Lloyds’ own customers were scammed.
Most victims were aged between 18 and 34, with the average loss per customer being £177, though some individuals lost over £1,000. Scammers primarily targeted fans of major teams, with Arsenal and Liverpool supporters being the most frequently victimized.
The majority of scams, about 56%, originated on Facebook Marketplace, while 26% started on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Earlier this year, Lloyds Bank also reported that Taylor Swift fans lost over £1 million to ticket scammers ahead of her UK tour.
How did the scams work?
Criminals create fake posts on social media or online marketplaces to advertise tickets that do not exist, often with pictures of real tickets to convince the buyer they’re genuine.
The victim is then tricked into making a payment, usually by bank transfer.
Once the money has been transferred, the fraudster just disappears, and the victim gets nothing in return.
The problem with bank transfers is they are not designed for online transactions, so it is more difficult to get your money back once it has gone.
The banks can pay victims back, but the transactions don’t have the same protections as buying something with a bank card, for example.
What can fans do?
Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds Bank, said “missing out on the big match after falling victim to a ticket scam can be devastating”.
She urged fans to purchase tickets only through official channels and to be wary of offers that seem unusually cheap.
UK Finance cautioned fans to pause and consider carefully before spending any money. They emphasized that it’s perfectly acceptable to reject suspicious requests, as scammers often try to pressure or intimidate you into making quick decisions.
Using a credit card for purchases between £100 and £30,000 provides extra protection.
The Premier League also recommends that fans buy tickets directly from the clubs or their authorized partners.
“Tech and social media companies need to step up and tackle the criminality which is taking place on their platforms and contribute to cost of reimbursing victims,” the spokesperson said.
Facebook owner Meta and X were contacted for comment.