Football fans are being urged to watch out for ticket scams when buying match tickets for the upcoming Premier League season, as a bank estimates that £2.5 million has been lost in recent years.
Victims lost an average of £218 each last season, according to Lloyds.
More than 2,400 cases of football ticket fraud were reported by Lloyds customers over the past two seasons, with total losses topping £500,000.
The bank estimates that nationally there are likely to have been at least 12,000 victims since the start of the 2023/24 season, with more than £2.5 million stolen by fraudsters.
Supporters of Liverpool are most likely to have been affected, followed by fans of Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City, Lloyds’ figures indicated.
Cases also involved fans of Celtic and Rangers, while Wrexham AFC also featured in the data.
Supporters aged 25 to 34 were the most common victims, making up 28% of cases, closely followed by 18 to 24-year-olds (26%).
The Government has joined Lloyds to issue a warning to supporters as part of its Stop! Think Fraud campaign.
Around three-quarters (76%) of football ticket fraud cases last season started on social media, according to Lloyds’ data.
Scammers post fake adverts or listings on social media, offering tickets at discounted prices or for sold-out games.
Victims are asked to pay upfront – often by bank transfer – but the tickets do not arrive and the fraudster disappears.
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Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds, said: “It’s easy to get swept up in the buzz of a new season, but scammers are banking on that excitement.
“With demand for tickets often outstripping supply, fraudsters know they can trick fans into paying for tickets that simply don’t exist.”
Lord Hanson, minister for fraud at the Home Office, said: “Fraud is a ruthless crime that preys on our passions, our trust and our excitement.
“As the nation gears up for the new football season, so too do fraudsters, waiting to take advantage of loyal fans searching for tickets.
“More than three-quarters of football ticket scams last season started on social media, with what seem like genuine ‘first come, first served’ offers all too often designed to rip off desperate fans.
“That’s why we urge all football supporters hunting for tickets to Stop! Think Fraud. Stay alert and only buy directly from the clubs, their official partners and legitimate resale outlets.
“None of us wants to miss a big game, but that will feel 10 times worse if you’ve also handed hundreds of pounds to a fraudster for a ticket you’ll never see.”
Sajni Shah, a money expert at Compare the Market, said: “Stay alert to red flags like overly cheap tickets being sold over social media or sellers pushing you to make fast payments via online platforms. If something feels too good to be true, it probably is.”
Here are some tips from Lloyds for football supporters to protect themselves from ticket scams:
1. Do not let “fomo” (fear of missing out) make you rush into a decision you will later regret. Take a moment to stop, think, and check if the offer is genuine.
2. Stick to official sources. Buy tickets directly from official Premier League club websites, ticket offices or their authorised partners. The Premier League website has a safe-buying guide to help fans when buying tickets.
3. Do not move away from an official payment platform to make a direct payment via bank transfer or virtual currency. Use the website’s recommended payment methods.