Beware Oasis Fans: Unraveling the Ticket Scams Plaguing Concert Enthusiasts

If you’ve been eagerly waiting to see your favorite band live but missed out on tickets, be cautious. Scammers are exploiting the high demand for this summer’s hottest concerts, claiming they can provide entry to sold-out shows. It’s crucial to stay alert.

For example, the recent Oasis concerts that began on Friday have become a prime target for these con artists, who dupe music enthusiasts. Lloyds Bank recently reported that over 1,000 of their customers have been scammed by offers promising tickets to these highly sought-after events, with victims losing an average of £436, and one individual losing over £1,700.

The UK government disclosed that in 2024, concertgoers lost over £1.6m to gig ticket fraud, with 3,700 cases reported to Action Fraud. Nearly half of these incidents stemmed from social media offers, and numerous individuals have recounted their losses after engaging with these deceptive Facebook posts.

There are also reports of scammers hijacking Facebook accounts and misleading victims’ friends and family into believing the ticket sales were legitimate.

Scammers are daring enough to engage in conversation and answer questions, only to vanish with the money shortly after. One reader shared his experience of being duped into transferring £150 for what he believed to be valid tickets, only to find the seller had disappeared right after the transaction.

Identifying the Scam

On social media platforms, like Facebook, scammers post about having extra tickets for sale, even offering to show proof before you make a payment. While browsing these posts on fan pages or on platforms like X, you’ll encounter numerous such claims. Although some may be authentic, it’s often impossible to verify just by looking at the posts.

Requests in the Scam Messages

Typically, these messages will request a bank transfer as the method of payment for the tickets.

Steps to Take

If someone you know posts about selling tickets, it’s safer to contact them directly instead of going through social media.

Check the official website of the venue or the band. This should link you to legitimate ticket selling and reselling sites.

Whenever possible, use a credit or debit card for online purchases. These payment methods offer additional protections in case the tickets don’t arrive.

If you receive an email offering tickets, verify the sender’s address. For instance, emails from Ticketmaster should originate from noreply@mailings.ticketmaster.co.uk. Instead of clicking on links in the email, visit the ticket seller’s website directly.

Ensure any ticket provider you use is a member of the Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR), which offers a recourse mechanism if there are issues.

Ticketmaster also cautions against accepting printed tickets as scammers may distribute multiple copies of the same ticket.