Football fans have been warned over potential ticket scams, with many fraudsters using social media to offer fake tickets.
According to a report from the BBC, unsuspecting victims are being targeted on social media platforms, with the average loss being over £400 ($487/€478).
Lloyds Bank said that the average loss is £410 and that fans often pay by bank transfer, which offers no protection to users.
The bank’s data also demonstrated that scam cases climbed more than two-thirds between January and June. Lloyds told the BBC that fraudsters were taking advantage of people desperate to return to live events after the end of Covid-19 restrictions.
With the Premier League re-starting this weekend, it could present the perfect opportunity for more scams to arise. Criminals often target the biggest games – which are usually already sold out – including the top six clubs in England, European games and international matches.
Major events such as cup finals could see victims lose thousands.
Scammers use social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to offer fake tickets for popular games. They will often post fake pictures with a made-up story about how they can no longer attend the match, fooling victims into purchasing the tickets.
Liz Ziegler, retail fraud and financial crime director, Lloyds Bank, told the BBC: “The vast majority of these scams start on social media, where it’s all too easy for fraudsters to use fake profiles and advertise items that simply don’t exist. Buying directly from the clubs or their official ticket partners is the only way to guarantee you’re paying for a real ticket.”
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