Concert ticket scams have increased by 529% in the UK

The past year has been marked by the public’s return to concert halls and festivals … and an overabundance of scammer activity.

Live music fans should be extra vigilant. In the UK, the number of reports of ticket scams for concerts and festivals has seen a 529% jump in one year, according to data from British banking group Lloyds Bank cited by sky news.

This huge increase relates to the period from March 2022 to February 2023. The victims lost an average of 110 pounds (about 123 euros).

Target concerts are the most popular: the British media put the performances of Harry Styles in the lead, followed by the performances of Lewis Capaldi, Coldplay and Calvin Harris.

On the festival side, the number of reported scams increased by 128% with Reading Festival the hardest hit. It took place last August, with a lineup that includes Megan Thee Stallion, Arctic Monkeys, The 1975 and Halsey.

the guardian Determines that ticket sales for stand-up shows or for the theater are not bailed out, even if there are fewer frauds reported.

Perfect techniques

These scams consist of selling out venues that do not exist, or offering tickets to shows that are already sold out. Victims are scammed through fake websites, fake emails, and fake social media accounts.

Liz Ziegler, director of fraud prevention at Lloyds Bank, warns of the arrival of summer festivals, which could be accompanied by new scams. It defines some reactions to follow to protect against: in particular, preferring payments by credit card or PayPal rather than transferring, but not only.

“Buying directly from legal and reputable platforms is the only way to ensure that what you’re buying is from the real place. Even then, never pay except by credit or debit card for the best protection.”

“If you’re asked to pay by bank transfer (instead of card, editor’s note), especially when you’ve found the seller on social media, that should immediately set off alarm bells.”

This explosion in the number of fake ticket scams appears to be the result of even more encouraging news: the return of audiences to concert halls. Ticket sales are up 43% compared to 2019, the last year before Covid-19 hit in 2020.