How to buy tickets safely

As the new football season approaches, Lloyds Bank has revealed data that shows thousands of fans have been scammed. Over the last two seasons more than 2,400 cases of football ticket scams were reported to Lloyds alone, with the total losses reaching £500,000. It estimates that since the start of the 2023/24 season more than £2.5m has been lost nationally to football ticket scams, involving at least 12,000 victims.

Victims lost an average of £218 each with Liverpool supporters most likely to be targeted. 25-34 year olds face the highest risk of being defrauded, making up 28% of all cases.,

Beware of touts

“Touts” is a term used for anyone selling tickets using dodgy practices, such as forged tickets, scam ticket offers, stolen tickets, etc.

If you buy any tickets from a tout, you may not be able to get your money back. However, you may entitled to a refund if the tickets were bought on a credit card. Purchases over £100 should be covered by Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974.

Transactions on debit cards, or those below £100, are not covered by the Section 75. “Chargeback”, although not part of any act of law, is a voluntary scheme based on rules set by card issuers, such as Mastercard and Visa. Because it isn’t based onlaw, you should use the Consumer Credit Act 1974 where possible, otherwise Chargeback can be applied for similar situations.

Fake websites and scammers

When someone is tricked into sending money via bank transfer (also known as a Faster Payment) to buy goods or services that don’t exist, it is known as a purchase scam.

For example, this might be done through fake adverts or social media posts, where tickets are offered at discounted prices, for access to events which have already sold out.

Victims are asked to pay upfront for the tickets. However, once the payment is made they are left with no tickets and the scammers disappear.

Fraudsters also attempt to take over people’s social media accounts to sell fake tickets and perpetrate other scams. James Bore, the founder of Bores.com, says that people can have their social media accounts compromised so that scammers can try to sell tickets to friends and family.

Bore advises:

The best thing to do is turn on MFA (multi-factor authentication) on your social media accounts. It doesn’t guarantee safety, but it provides much better security than just a password. If anyone asks you for a code to access their account, it’s almost guaranteed to be an attempt to take over your own account. They’ll then try to use that to defraud your friends and family, whether that’s about trying to sell them non-existent tickets, or a whole host of other scams.”

Also be careful of fake websites, made to look like the real thing, which will take your money and not provide the tickets.

Protecting yourself when buying tickets online

1) Buy from a trusted retailer on a well-known platform, ensuring that the ticket comes from an official seller or established reseller.

2) Be extra cautious of buying from third-party sellers

3) Don’t buy tickets on social media. It is too easy for scammers to offer fake tickets. Most football ticket fraud cases last season started on social media, 76%.

4) If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. If the event is sold out, you are unlikely to get tickets that aren’t overpriced and/or fake on the secondary ticket seller sites.

5) Use a credit card to pay for tickets. You will then be covered by the Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. The credit card company is equally liable, so if anything goes wrong, it will refund you. Debit cards do not have this cover, although you may be able to use “Chargeback” which is a voluntary scheme for debit cards and purchases under £100. If the bank does not pay out, take the matter to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS). How to claim refunds using credit and debit cards, Consumer Credit Act 1974

Once again, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! And that is certainly the case when it comes to tickets!

The Premier League has a safe buying guide on its website to help fans when buying tickets.

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