Football fans warned of online ticket scams as Premier League kicks off

With the Premier League season due to kick off in just two weeks, football fans have been warned of the growing threat of online ticket scams from Lloyds Bank.

Scammers prey on fans’ loyalty and enthusiasm to see their favorite team, knowing that most big games across the country will sell out.

Unsurprisingly, it’s fans of some of England’s biggest clubs, where demand for tickets is highest, who are most likely to be targeted.

Supporters of Liverpool and Manchester United were the most frequent victims last season, along with those of Arsenal and Chelsea.

Lloyds Bank’s analysis of its own clients found that the number of people being scammed buying football tickets increased by 101 per cent compared to the previous season. Victims lost £154 on average.

Lloyds said that more than 90 per cent of football ticket scams reported during the 2022/23 season started on just three online platforms: Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Those between the ages of 18 and 24 were more likely to be victims.

How the football ticket scam works

When tickets to big events are in short supply or in high demand, scammers know they can take advantage of desperate fans who are willing to pay much more.

They create fake posts on social media or online marketplaces to advertise tickets that don’t exist.

Often they will include images of actual tickets to convince the unsuspecting buyer that they are genuine.

The victim is tricked into sending money via bank transfer (also known as faster payment).

Many consumers don’t realize that wire transfers weren’t designed as a way to pay for things online and offer little protection if something goes wrong.

Tickets for international matches and major cup finals are also regularly falsely advertised.

Once the money has been transferred, the scammer simply disappears and the victim receives nothing in return.

How to stay safe when buying football tickets

Those who pay for tickets with a credit or debit card benefit from Section 75 and chargeback rules, which have been protecting consumers for decades.

Section 75 protection means that if a consumer buys something on credit worth between £100 and £30,000, even if they only pay £1 of the total on a credit card, the lender and seller are equally responsible for settling the problem if something goes wrong. .

A chargeback is a protection placed on most debit, prepaid, and credit cards that allows customers to request that a transaction be reversed if there is a problem with the goods or services they have paid for.

Supporters of Manchester United (pictured) and Liverpool were more frequently targeted for fraud last season, along with supporters of Arsenal and Chelsea.

It is not enshrined in law, so banks are not required to offer it, but it is included in the rules and regulations of most banks and lenders. However, these rules can vary between card companies.

The English Premier League says that if you’re looking to buy match tickets, you should buy them directly from the clubs.

Those clubs will also provide details of any authorized ticket partners on their official website, which may include legitimate ways for people to resell tickets.

It’s also important to remember that scammers will target any major event where demand for tickets is likely to outstrip supply.

Earlier this year, Lloyds Bank said concert ticket scams increased by more than 500 percent last year.

Liz Ziegler, Lloyds Bank’s director of fraud prevention, said: “Buying direct from football clubs or their official ticket partners is the only way to ensure you’re paying for a real ticket, and always use your debit card or credit for maximum security”. If you’re not doing those two things, there’s a good chance you’re going to get ripped off.”