'Ruthless' fraudsters scam football fans out of £2.5m

An estimated 12,000 supporters have fallen victim of ticket scams in the past two years

Football fans are being urged to beware "ruthless" fraudsters when buying match tickets online after a study showed an estimated £2.5m had been lost to scammers in the past two years.

Lloyds Bank estimate at least 12,000 supporters have fallen victim to ticket fraud across the past two campaigns, with their own customers losing around £500,000.

When extrapolated nationwide, it's estimated that more than £2.5m has been lost to ticket scammers.

The 'Stop! Think Fraud' campaign has been established to raise awareness of online purchase scams, which tend to offer match tickets for sold-out matches and often at discounted prices.

"Fraud is a ruthless crime that preys on our passions, our trust, and our excitement," said Lord Hanson, the Minister for Fraud.

"More than three quarters of football ticket scams last season started on social media, with what seem like genuine 'first come, first served' offers all too often designed to rip off desperate fans."

Hanson says supporters should "only buy directly from clubs, their official partners and legitimate resale outlets".

Liverpool supporters were the most likely to be targeted, followed by fans of Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.

Supporters aged 25-34 were the most frequent victims of ticket scams, making up 28% of cases, followed by those aged 18-24 (26%).

New Premier League rules for the 2026-27 season requires clubs to offer 70% of their tickets digitally, as it offers a greater defence to ticket touting.