With the Premier League back across the country, how do fans avoid being scammed by fraudsters to the tune of hundreds of pounds?
Fraud is currently the most prevalent crime against individuals in the UK, accounting for an estimated 41 per cent reflected in the Crime Survey for England and Wales for the year ending September 2024. Fraudsters are consistently reinventing ways to scam victims and the methods are becoming more sophisticated. Fraud has now infiltrated the nation’s beloved football leagues, with football fans being urged to watch out for ‘ruthless’ ticket scams in the run up to the next Premier League season.
Premier League fans must be vigilant
This warning has been fired by Lloyds Bank who has estimated that nationally there are likely to have been at least 12,000 victims since the start of the 2023/24 season, with more than £2.5m stolen by fraudsters.
This kind of fraud is not only applicable to football tickets, but also applies to other kinds of entertainment, including concerts and gigs. This summer it was widely reported that 19 people paid an individual £6,000 for Oasis tickets that were never received.
Stop! Think fraud
Fraud of this nature preys on people’s desperation to support their teams or see their favourite artists, therefore ticket purchasers are encouraged to consider the ‘Stop! Think fraud’ campaign and take note of what to look out for.
Initially, purchasers should consider the website they are thinking of purchasing tickets from and do their own due diligence. This could be as simple as checking to see whether the event has been sold out, considering the price of the tickets, and asking yourself whether the price is reasonable in the circumstances.
Also, it is important to confirm the legitimacy of the company and its website, particularly reviewing the ‘About us’/’Contact us’ pages, the kind of payment that is accepted and the returns policy. Reviews of websites or sellers is also a great resource to help you navigate risk; these include, for example, Feefo, Sitejabber and Trustpilot among others. Ultimately, fans are encouraged to buy from official sources, including clubs, their official partners and legitimate resale outlets.
What happens if you are scammed?
If you believe you have been a victim of ticket fraud, you should report it to either Action Fraud or the National Cyber Security Centre. Resources however are limited as shown in the Oasis example when ripped off fans complained that Action Fraud advised that there were ‘no viable lines of enquiry’ and only reviewed this decision after the BBC began to investigate.
Ed Sheeran himself has tried to combat fraud and was praised when he cancelled 10,000 tickets to his London shows to prevent ticket resale sites from turning them around at massively inflated prices. Unfortunately, though, it is very unlikely that you will receive reimbursement if you are subjected to ticket fraud.
Should Premier League fans be supported?
The UK government and police forces should focus on establishing wide-scale fraud prevention mechanisms as fraudsters become more sophisticated and expand the number of ways to elicit money from unsuspecting fans. Until this happens however, ticket purchasers must stay vigilant and consider the validity of the tickets and sale method used before parting with their cash.
Arabella Dulcie is a Business Crime Associate at JMW Solicitors in London
