Football ticket scams could do Brits out of £780,000, says high street bank

Football ticket scams could cost fans a total of £780,000 this year, a high street bank has said.

With Euro 2024 beginning in two weeks, ticket buyers are being warned to be extra vigilant. 

Fraud was the most common crime in the UK last year, over theft and violent crime.

Santander said customers lost over £113,000 to scams in 2023 – nearly double that of what the bank reported in 2022. 

Its analysis showed how customer losses from football ticket scams could rise to £200,000 if trends continue.

They say total football ticket scams could reach £780,000 across the whole industry.

Research commissioned by Barclays said scammers are winning an average of £243 for each ticket sold. 

Scams: Who gets tricked the most?

Young people and men are duped the most. The reports said 19 to 34 year olds account for 42% of all football ticket scams, while men pay £150 more than women do on scams. 

“For many fans, this will be the first Euros since 2016 they can attend due to the pandemic, and with both England and Scotland qualifying, we know many will be desperate to get their hands on tickets to the big games,” Chris Ainsley, who heads the fraud risk management team at Santander, said. 

Both banks have reminded fans that “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is”. 

“It can be devastating for sports fans to hand over their hard-earned money for a ticket to see their favourite team or event, only to discover it doesn’t actually exist,” Barclays’ fraud expert Kirsty Adams said. 

Santander is advising its customers to buy tickets directly from UEFA if they want to go to Euros games. 

It also said that football ticket buyers should be aware of being caught by the “excitement of the moment”. 

Barclays have advised sports fans to look for a second opinion when buying tickets.