Football fans are being urged to destroy old tickets to prevent fraudsters from reusing them, as the Premier League season kicks off this weekend. Lloyds Bank has reported a surge in fake ticket scams, with victims losing an average of £410. The scams have increased by more than two-thirds between January and June, driven by fraudsters targeting fans desperate to attend live events after Covid restrictions ended.
Fraudsters use social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to offer fake tickets for sold-out matches, including top-six Premier League clashes, European games, and internationals. They often post bogus ticket images or fabricated stories about why they cannot attend, then demand payment via bank transfer, which offers no consumer protection. Once the money is sent, the scammers disappear, leaving fans out of pocket.
Liz Ziegler, Lloyds Bank's retail fraud and financial crime director, warned: 'The vast majority of these scams start on social media, where it's all too easy for fraudsters to use fake profiles and advertise items that simply don't exist. Buying directly from the clubs or their official ticket partners is the only way to guarantee you're paying for a real ticket.'
Fans are advised to pay by credit or debit card to benefit from Section 75 or Chargeback protections, which can help recover money if goods are not as advertised. The bank also cautioned that concert and festival ticket scams are on the rise, as fraudsters target any event where demand exceeds supply.
