Football fans are being warned they could lose hundreds of pounds to ticket scams, with Lloyds Bank reporting that the average loss during the current Premier League season is £215. The bank said football ticket scams have surged by 36% over the past six months compared with the same period last year, while the total amount stolen has risen by 42%.
Nearly a third of all ticket scams – 32% – are now football-related, as fraudsters exploit the demand for top fixtures. Supporters seeking tickets for Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United are among those most commonly targeted, along with prestigious matches such as the FA Cup Final and the Champions League Final. With the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico just weeks away, concerns are growing that the problem will worsen significantly.
Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds, said: “Fraudsters thrive on urgency and target fans looking for hard-to-get tickets for big-name fixtures. Most of the football ticket scams we see start on social media – especially Facebook and Instagram – before the criminal moves the buyer onto WhatsApp and insists on a bank transfer to pay. It’s incredibly convincing, and we don't want fans to lose their money trying to support their team.”
The warning coincides with the Home Office joining forces with Lloyds to champion its Stop! Think Fraud initiative. Fraud minister Lord Hanson said: “As excitement builds for the World Cup, fraudsters are preparing to exploit loyal fans searching for tickets. I urge all football supporters hunting for tickets to Stop! Think Fraud and show fraudsters the red card. Only buy directly from FIFA or the FIFA resale marketplace.”
Specialists say the scams typically begin with advertisements on social media marketplaces offering last-minute tickets. Victims are then persuaded to move to private messaging platforms, where they face pressure to transfer funds via bank payment – a method favoured by criminals as it is difficult to trace. Edinburgh barber Robert Paterson, a Scotland supporter, said he had already come across suspicious listings. “I've definitely come across a number of questionable listings, with many tickets appearing either massively overpriced or outright dodgy – especially on Facebook.” Officials are urging supporters to buy only from authorised vendors, avoid bank transfers, and be wary of offers that seem too good to be true. Those who suspect they have been targeted should contact Action Fraud, as part of a wider initiative backed by a £31 million investment in a new online crime centre.
