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Oasis fans hit by landslide of ticket scams


05 November 2024

  • Hundreds of Oasis fans report being scammed while trying to buy tour tickets.
  • Victims losing £346 on average, though some have seen up to £1,000 stolen.
  • More than 90% of cases start on social media, vast majority on Facebook.

 

Fans of Oasis are being targeted by a landslide of ticket scams on social media, as the Mancunian rock icons prepare to tour the UK for the first time since 2009.

Analysis by Lloyds of scam reports made by its own customers found there were hundreds of ticket fraud claims in the first month since the reunion was announced, with Oasis fans making up around 70% of all reported concert ticket scams since 27th August.

Victims have lost an average of £346, with some cases reaching as high as £1,000. Those aged 35 – 44 years old were most likely to be targeted by the ticket fraudsters, making up almost a third (31%) of all cases.

Scourge of social media scams

Over 90% of reported cases started with fake adverts or posts on social media, with the vast majority originating on Facebook, which includes Facebook Marketplace.

A simple search of Facebook reveals numerous unofficial groups have been set up, many boasting tens of thousands of members, dedicated to buying and selling tickets for the Oasis tour.

This is despite Meta’s own commerce policy stating that the sale of concert tickets is “not allowed” on the platform.

Liz Ziegler, Fraud Prevention Director, Lloyds, said: “Predictably fraudsters wasted no time in targeting loyal Oasis fans as they scrambled to pick up tickets for next year’s must-see reunion tour.

“The fact that so many cases start with fake listings on social media, often in violation of the platforms’ own rules, underscores the importance of these companies taking stronger action to tackle scams.

“Buying directly from reputable, authorised platforms is the only way to guarantee you’re paying for a genuine ticket. If you’re asked to pay via bank transfer, particularly by a seller you’ve found on social media, that should immediately set alarm bells ringing.”
 

How a ticket purchase scam works

Purchase scams happen when someone is tricked into sending money via bank transfer (also known as a Faster Payment) to buy goods or services that don’t exist.

Ticket scams usually involve fake adverts, posts or listings on social media, offering tickets at discounted prices, or access to events which have already sold out at inflated prices.

Victims are asked to pay upfront for the tickets, but once the payment is made, the scammers vanish.

When tickets for an event are scarce, fraudsters take advantage of eager fans willing to pay more by falsely claiming to have tickets available.

Scams often occur in two waves: first when tickets are released for sale, and again as the event date approaches.

Top tips to safely buy concert tickets

  • Stick to trusted retailers – Always purchase tickets from reputable, official ticket-selling (or reselling) platforms. Exercise caution when dealing with third-party sellers.
  • Be cautious on social media – Remember that you can’t always verify if a user profile or ticket listing is genuine. Fraudsters can easily create fake ads, even using images of real tickets.
  • Avoid deals that look too good to be true – If a ticket is being sold at an unusually low price or for a sold-out event, it’s a red flag. Always ask yourself if the deal seems realistic.
  • Use a secure payment method – Pay with your debit or credit card, as this provides more protection for your money. PayPal is also a safer alternative compared to bank transfers.


Spending soars on concert tickets

Data analysed by Lloyds reveals that on the day Oasis tickets went on sale, customers spent an average of £563 per debit card transaction on one of the UK’s biggest ticket selling sites.

If that doesn’t sound expensive enough, on the same day, ticket hunters spent an average of £909 on a popular UK ticket reselling site.

Oasis drew the highest average spending on tickets, amongst similar events, over the past three years.

As a comparison, when Taylor Swift’s UK tour tickets were released last year, ‘Swifties’ spent quite a bit less on average - £342 on the major ticket site and £518 on the resale site.
 

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