Liverpool FC has revealed that around 650 supporters' accounts are currently under investigation as part of the club's extensive crackdown on ticket touts. Head of operations Simon Smith stated that the Reds are aware of 'touting crack houses in the area' which make vast sums of money by ripping off fans desperate to attend matches at Anfield.
Some 970 individual accounts have been subject to investigation by the club this season, with around 650 related to the unauthorised selling of match tickets. The other cases involve behaviour inside the stadium, including racial discrimination, disability discrimination, missile throwing, drink-related disorder, and foul and abusive behaviour.
A total of 1,190 accounts are currently suspected to have been created in order for tickets to be sold on the secondary market. Some 589 of these cases are the subject of a police fraud investigation. Police came across one individual with access to 270 accounts, while another individual has been banned after being found with 500 envelopes containing members' cards at a city centre hotel.
The data was offered up by Liverpool at their latest fans' forum after a review of the club's sanctions and investigations processes. Chief operating officer Andy Hughes said: 'There is no question that Liverpool Football Club is one of the biggest targets for touts. The club has stated that it will do everything in its power to combat ticket touting and the figures and issues that Simon has highlighted underlines this commitment.'
Operations manager Michael Yorke added: 'It is important to stress that in not one single case has a sanction been issued for someone innocently passing tickets on.' The club first declared war on ticket touts in January 2018, introducing measures such as enlisting private investigators to identify and suspend touts from purchasing seats.
