- Football-related scams made up over half of all sports ticket fraud cases, totalling over £127,000
- Young men aged 19-34 are prime targets, losing £80,491 to scammers in 2024 already
- Average loss per scam climbed to £352, up from £225 last year
Santander is urging sports fans to be cautious when shopping around for tickets this season, as data shows that fraudsters are setting their sights on them. New data from Santander reveals that nearly a quarter of a million pounds (£243,000) was lost to sports ticket scams between January and September 2024. Fans aged 19-34 were the hardest hit, accounting for 41% of victims. Within this group, young men were particularly vulnerable, making up 84% of cases and losing a combined £80,491—33% of the total amount stolen.
Ticket scams happen when a scammer sells a fake ticket for an event to an unsuspecting customer, or a ticket that never existed in the first place. Sales are typically advertised on social media or through fake websites.
Of the ever-growing trend of ticket scams, football-related scams made up the largest share, accounting for over half (52%) of all losses. According to Santander's data, fans have already lost £127,544 this year as fraudsters cash in on their passion for the game.
While football-related scams were the most common, other sports saw bigger losses per victim. Motorsports ticket scams had the highest average loss at £3,851, with total losses reaching £50,070. Golf came next, with fans losing an average of £860 and a total of £51,685.
The average loss per sports ticket scam has risen sharply, climbing to £352 this year from £225 in 2023.
Chris Ainsley, Head of Fraud Risk Management at Santander said: "Football fans have lost over £127,000 to ticket scams this year alone. Scammers know how to exploit the excitement around big games. Don’t let them score at your expense. A quick check could be the difference between cheering in the stands or being left on the bench, out of pocket and out of luck."
Top tips to avoid falling victim to ticket scams:
- Always buy tickets from trustworthy official sellers and websites. This is the safest way to book tickets.
- Don’t let desperation get the better of you. If tickets are sold out, avoid letting the excitement of the moment push you into buying from a non-legitimate source.
- Never pay by bank transfer or PayPal friends and family. If you’re buying a resale ticket from someone other than official sellers or websites, avoid these payment methods. Instead, opt for safer options like debit or credit cards.
- Make sure the website you are buying from is secure. When buying online, check the payment pages by looking for the padlock symbol in the address bar. The website should start with ‘https’.
- And don’t forget: if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Information on how to report fraud is available on the Santander website as well as information on how to report a lost, stolen, or damaged card.
ENDS