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Banking group Santander says that customer reports of ticketing scams have more than doubled in the UK in the last 12 months.
The business said the number of reported ticket scams by its customers have grown 141% year-on-year to 1,905 in the first seven months of 2023. It added that the average claim was for £107.
Santander — which has 14 million active customers — defines ticket scams as the sale of fake tickets or tickets that never existed in the first place. It said the illicit sales are typically advertised on social media or through fake websites.
Two thirds of all claims (67%) from customers said their scam originated from social media sites. Concerts and festival tickets had the highest reported claims accounting for nearly half (47%) of all claims made, followed by football fixtures (17% of all claims) and flights (7% of all claims).
Chris Ainsley, head of fraud risk management at Santander, said: “Whether buying tickets for your favourite artist, the Rugby World Cup, or your football team, don’t score an own goal by getting scammed.
“If anybody has been contacted by a stranger or sees an advert online with a deal that seems too good to be true, it may be exactly that. People should be alert to potential scams and only buy tickets from official ticket sellers.”
Customers aged between 19-34 years accounted for 60% of all claims, while those aged over 35 reported the biggest loses with an average loss of £194.
Santander’s advice to customers includes always buying tickets through trustworthy official sellers and using payment methods that offer greater protection such as credit cards.
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