London Daily

Focus on the big picture.

Concert and festival scams increased by 529%, Lloyds bank survey finds

Concert and festival scams increased by 529%, Lloyds bank survey finds

Harry Styles shows were most often targeted while Reading music festival drew the greatest number of scam ticket sellers.
Reports of concert and festival scams have increased 529% over the past year, according to data from Lloyds Bank.

Victims of the scams have lost an average of £110, though some have lost thousands, the high street lender said.

The figures compare the year to February this year with the 12 months before that.

They reflect that people have returned to visiting events after the lifting of COVID restrictions.

While there was a large rise in the number of festival ticket scams, Lloyds said there were also big increases in the number of incidents involving comedy and theatre tickets, though the volume was much smaller.

Attempts to swindle money out of visitors to major festivals and concerts were the commonest form of scam, with the reason thought to be related to the number of sold out events.

The most common festival ticket scam was for the Reading Festival and the gigs most targeted were those by Harry Styles. Other popular acts and performers which found themselves the target of scammers included Lewis Capaldi, Coldplay and Calvin Harris.

Scammers charged customers for tickets which did not exist and sometimes for gigs that had already sold out.

A common method involved creating fake websites, sending bogus emails and operating dodgy social media pages.

People fell prey to frauds by paying up-front for tickets which would never arrive. Scammers would then disappear.

Lloyds has warned fans to be on their guard in the run up to the summer concert and festival season. The bank advised against paying by bank transfer and recommended using pay pal, credit or debit cards.

"If you're being asked to pay by bank transfer, particularly from a seller you've found on social media, that should immediately set alarm bells ringing," Lloyds Bank Fraud Prevention Director, Liz Zieglaer, said.

"It's equivalent to handing someone cash on the street and doesn't come with the protections of other card transactions.

"Buying directly from reputable, authorised platforms is the only way to guarantee you're paying for a real ticket. Even then, always pay by debit or credit card for the greatest protection."

Buyers who pay with cards can benefit from consumer credit legislation which says credit card providers are jointly responsible for misrepresentation by a seller and can help recoup money spent.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Prince William to End Feudal Land Restrictions in Duchy of Cornwall, but Controversies Remain
British police appear unprepared to deal with usual suspects
Russia's Ballistic Blitz on Kyiv Sends Shockwaves Through Global Stability
Multiple Tragedies and Tensions Mark Global Events: A Closer Look
Elon Musk's AfD Endorsement Ignites Controversy from neo-Nazis who accuse the AfD of being what they themselves are
Ukraine Claims Unprecedented Russian Losses: The Truth Behind Wartime Statistics
Federal Reserve Chair Powell: "We are prohibited from owning Bitcoin and are not seeking any changes to that law."
A Democratic congresswoman with blue and black hair is having a meltdown over "President Musk."
A sizable group of unauthorized migrants is traveling through Mexico with the aim of reaching the USA before Trump assumes office.
Beatles Reunion Electrifies London: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr Ignite O2 Arena with Surprise Performance
Starmer's Envoy Engages Trump Team as UK Seeks Strategic U.S. Partnership
Britain's Retail Rebound Falters as Black Friday Splurge Dissipates
Bank of Japan's Bold Reckoning: A Decade of Unconventional Policy Under Scrutiny
Republican Discord Threatens Government Shutdown Amid Holiday Season
French Retiree Dominique Pellico Convicted for Recruiting 72 Men to Assault Wife Over a Decade
Putin Defends War Strategy as Global Tensions Rise
Putin Claims Progress as Tensions Rise: Conflict in Ukraine Intensifies
Putin's Paradox: Claiming Strength Amidst Sanctions and Isolation
Water as a Weapon: The Contentious Struggle for Survival in Gaza
Syria's Future: A Fight for Democracy or Another Cycle of Oppression?
UK Considers Sending Troops to Ukraine: A Strategic Move or Intensifying The Proxy War?
Renewed ISIS Threat Puts Syria’s Cultural Heritage in Peril
Escalation in Moscow: High-Profile Assassination and International Tensions Intensify
North Korean Troops in Ukraine: A New Cold War Frontier?
Ukraine's Bold Move: High-Stakes Assassination of Russian General in Moscow
Dubai's Technological Leap: Brain Chips and AI Board Members by 2025
Tragedy Strikes Wisconsin School as Shooting Claims Lives of Teacher and Student
UK's Calculated Gamble: Balancing Defense Aid to Ukraine and Domestic Demands
UK Intensifies Stranglehold on Russian Oil, but Does It Dampen Putin’s Resolve?
British Voter Endorsement of Reeves's Bold Tax Strategy
Nicola Sturgeon Warns of 'Toxic' Discourse: The Perils of Polarisation in Modern Politics
Levelling Down: How the Conservatives Underspent on Regional Revitalization
Alleged Chinese Espionage: The Entangled Web Beyond Prince Andrew
Starmer Navigates Diplomatic Tightrope Amid Chinese Espionage Revelations Involving Prince Andrew
Balancing Democracy and Disorder: The Trial of a Milkshake Incident
Royal Mail Enters New Chapter Under Czech Ownership
UK Companies Slash Jobs Amid Economic Strain
Kemi Badenoch Rekindles Flat Tax Debate Amid Inheritance Tax Uproar
Rewiring Whitehall: New Cabinet Secretary's Mandate for Change
Legal Battle Revives: Lucy Letby Seeks Fresh Appeal as Expert Evidence Faces Scrutiny
Accusations Fly as UK-China Relations Spark Tension Within British Politics
The Delicate Dance of Devolution: As English Council Elections Face Delays
The Alleged Chinese Spy at the Heart of British Royal Circles: Yang Tengbo Unmasked
Prince Andrew Withdraws from Royal Christmas Amidst Chinese Espionage Scandal
EU Takes Legal Action Against UK Over Allegedly Neglected Rights of EU Citizens
Disaster Strikes: Oil Spill in the Black Sea and Cyclone Devastation in Mayotte
Oil Tanker Disaster in the Kerch Strait: A Confluence of Environmental Catastrophe and Geopolitical Tensions
Olaf Scholz’s Gamble: The Collapse of Germany’s Coalition Government and the Path to Early Elections
Keir Starmer's 'Sycophantic' Tone: Tensions Rise Over UK-China Relations
Trump Recognizes Partial Advances in Ceasefire Attempts in Ukraine Conflict
×