Oasis scams: how much have fans lost to ticket scams?

• 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, the vast majority on Facebook.

Oasis fans who have fallen victim to ticket scams following the announcement of the reunion tour have lost £346 on average, according to the latest analysis. 

Lloyds Bank has combed through scam reports made by its own customers in the first month since the shows were announced and found that some victims had lost as much as £1,000. The high street giant found that Oasis fans have made up around 70% of all reported concert ticket scams since August 27. 

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. Lloyds has issued advice on how fans can protect themselves from such scams. 

Watch out for social media scams 

After analysing the scam reports made by its customers, Lloyds found that over 90% of reported cases started with fake adverts or posts on social media. The vast majority originate on Facebook - including on Facebook Marketplace.

The bank explains that 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

Lloyds has issued advice to its customers - and music fans in general - for the ways to avoid falling victim to ticket scams. The tips are not just limited to Oasis’ tour, you should keep them in mind any time you go to buy 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.

Have you noticed ticket scams on social media - what steps do you take to protect yourself? Share your thoughts by emailing me: [email protected].