High demand and scarcity of tickets mean English Premier League scams are becoming more popular than ever for criminals, experts have warned.
Lloyds bank analysts used reported fraud cases from customers to reveal football ticket scams more than doubled last season (+101%). Victims lost an average of £154, but some were duped out of thousands. Younger fans were commonly targeted, with 18-24 year olds the most likely to fall victim.
Fraudsters use three sites almost exclusively, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly known as Twitter), with over 90% of cases originating from these platforms. Supporters of the biggest teams like Liverpool and Manchester United were most at risk.
What to look for
Fake tickets are advertised on social media, requesting funds via bank transfer before the scammer disappears after receiving the money. Bank transfer offers little to no protection against this type of fraud, so was a common tactic employed by criminals.
Lloyds warns the only guaranteed way to purchase legitimate tickets is directly from the football club or an official ticket partner website. Low prices or too good to be true deals were often used to trick eager fans.
Social media was used to deliver offers straight to fans' inboxes, with the knowledge that desperate fans will pay above the odds and take risks on less secure ticket opportunities.
“‘The vast majority of ticket scams start on Twitter and Facebook, where it’s far too easy for criminals to set up fake profiles and advertise items for sale that simply don’t exist,” noted Liz Ziegler, Fraud Prevention Director, Lloyds Bank, said. . “Social media companies must do more to tackle this issue given the vast majority of fraud starts on their platforms.”
The Premier League has also published a list of known unauthorised ticket websites, so that customers know where to avoid. Fans are warned to be vigilant with all ticket purchases, as concert ticket scams soared by 500% last year.
