Merseyside Police have launched an investigation after several Everton fans bought match tickets linked to season ticket accounts from a third party through Facebook but never received them, the force told the ECHO.
The force said it is in the early stages of its investigation, but officers are working with the club to identify and "take action" against ticket touts selling items both online and in person.
Club crackdown on ticket reselling
Off the back of the investigation, the club released information on its continued crackdown on ticket reselling. The club said it works with Ticketmaster to monitor activity on its site to identify suspicious patterns and strengthen club security surrounding ticketing.
Writing on its website, a spokesperson for Everton FC said: "These measures are designed to protect genuine supporters; ensure tickets are distributed as fairly as possible and prevent individuals from profiting from the unauthorised resale of Everton tickets.
"For the avoidance of doubt, tickets must not be sold through unauthorised websites, social media accounts, ticket touts or any other unofficial source.
"Any Season Ticket Member, Premium Member, Forever Blue Member or other ticket holder found to have supplied tickets to an unauthorised reseller or tour risks significant sanctions, including the cancellation of tickets and Memberships and a lengthy ban from Hill Dickinson Stadium.
"The resale of football tickets through unauthorised channels is also prohibited by law and is a breach of Everton's ticketing terms and conditions.
"With demand continuing to exceed the number of tickets available for many Premier League fixtures, the Club is particularly conscious of the impact touting has on Evertonians legitimately attempting to secure tickets."
Official ticket options and warning signs
The club has encouraged people to use official ticket options, with season ticket holders told to use the club's official ticket resale platform. Season ticket members can also transfer their tickets through the club digitally.
Describing what a ticket tout is, the club said: "A ticket tout is an individual or organisation selling tickets without authorisation, often at significantly inflated prices. Supporters should only purchase tickets through official Everton ticketing channels or authorised Club partners."
Tickets purchased from an unauthorised source - whether online, through social media or in person - may be invalid. Supporters risk being refused entry to Hill Dickinson Stadium as well as losing the money they have paid. Away supporters who purchase tickets in designated home areas also risk being refused entry or removed from the stadium.
The club maintains information on known unauthorised ticket websites to help supporters identify potential risks when purchasing tickets.
The warning signs posted by Everton are:
- Tickets that were fake and did not provide stadium access
- Genuine-looking tickets where the access credentials had already been cancelled or used
- Sellers disappearing after receiving payment
- Supporters paying significantly above the official ticket price
- Tickets never being delivered
- Bank details or other personal information being compromised
- Tickets being supplied for a different fixture or stadium area than advertised
- The same ticket being sold or transferred to multiple people
- Tickets that had originally been stolen or obtained fraudulently
- Supporters becoming involved in subsequent criminal investigations
- Screenshots being supplied instead of a valid digital ticket
- A single Family Area ticket being misrepresented as covering an entire family
- General Admission tickets being advertised and sold as Premium experiences
