June 2nd 2025
- Ticket fraud already costs consumers £70 million a year
- If price caps are introduced, experts predict an explosion in fraud, to the tune of £100 million in a single “summer of scams”
- We Fight Fraud and Revolut warn that Government’s proposed resale caps risk handing fans money over to criminal networks
- Premier League sting exposes black market in fake tickets, mule accounts and “name change” fees – as experts warn: introducing price caps will be a scammer’s dream
With the UK heading into its biggest summer of live events in years, experts are warning that the Government’s plans to cap the resale price of tickets could backfire – dramatically increasing fraud, pushing fans into the hands of scammers and triggering a financial backlash for both banks and consumers.
While the move to strengthen regulation is welcome, the proposal to restrict the price of resold tickets is raising serious concerns. In response to the Government’s recent consultation on ticket resale regulation, which includes proposals to restrict the price of resold tickets, We Fight Fraud (WFF) – supported by one of the UK’s leading fintechs, Revolut – is sounding the alarm: price caps won’t protect fans – they’ll expose them.
Data from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, Action Fraud and the National Crime Agency shows that the cost of reported ticket fraud for England and Wales was £70 million last year.
Yet this pales into insignificance with how much consumers would lose in the event of a mooted price cap being introduced. New figures from Bradshaw Advisory, backed by independent research from We Fight Fraud, suggest that number would quadruple as ticket resales migrate from the regulated secondary market to social media.
This would mean consumers being hit in the pocket to the tune of £280 million a year – with £100 million of that falling in the peak summer months alone.
Dr Nicola Harding, CEO of We Fight Fraud, a specialist unit made up of ex-police, intelligence officers, cyber experts, and financial crime investigators, said: “Capping resale prices may sound fan-friendly – but in practice, it pushes buyers into unregulated, risky spaces where criminals operate freely. We’ve tested this market. We’ve seen what happens. Price caps don’t stop fraud – they multiply it and we could see live event fans defrauded to the tune of £100 million this summer.”
As part of its investigation, We Fight Fraud conducted a covert ticket-buying operation at a Premier League match in March between Liverpool and Southampton. The results were stark:
- Three out of four tickets purchased via social media in test cases were either fake or never arrived.
- Two out of five tickets were outright scams.
- Two others were obtained illegally via hijacked memberships.
- Buyers were asked to pay bogus “name change” fees and transfer money to money mule accounts.
- All scams were orchestrated via social media platforms and encrypted messaging apps.
“These aren’t opportunistic chancers,” said Harding. “They’re organised criminal networks exploiting fans who’ve been shut out of safe, legitimate resale routes. “The more you limit legitimate access, the more you push desperate fans into the shadows – and that’s exactly where scammers lie in wait.”
While We Fight Fraud’s research* focused on the UK, international data tells a worrying story. In Ireland and Victoria, Australia – where ticket resale caps are in place – fraud has surged. Bradshaw Advisory’s research found that in Ireland, 13.6% of fans reported being scammed, over three times the UK’s 3.8% rate. Independent research shows fraud has risen in step with these restrictions.
Since October 2024, UK banks have been required to reimburse victims of Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud, which includes most ticket scams. With resale restrictions forcing more buyers onto risky channels, the financial burden is now spreading from fans to banks – and eventually to the wider economy.
Revolut saw ticket scams increase by 40% in the run-up to Taylor Swift concerts in London in August 2024.
“We know that highly anticipated events, like concerts and sports matches, can become a target for unscrupulous criminals preying on enthusiastic fans,” said Dave Eborne, Head of Fraud Operations at Revolut. “Especially with sought-after tickets, fraudsters leverage both the fear of missing out on a unique opportunity and a sense of urgency due to scarcity and high demand. The idea that a potential ticket could disappear quickly encourages people to act fast without thinking – but it’s vital that consumers look for tell-tale warning signs before handing over their hard-earned cash. As Dr. Harding’s research shows, banning or capping resale doesn’t stop these scams; it simply provides another platform for them to thrive, costing fans and the wider economy through increased fraud. Smart, transparent regulation of the resale market, and robust consumer education on the warning signs of ticket scams, are the only real solutions to protect fans.”
Tony Neate, CEO of Get Safe Online, commented: “As we head into a jam-packed concert season, with a star-studded line up including Oasis, Coldplay, Beyoncé and Lady Gaga, ticket demand is soaring. But with extraordinary demand comes extraordinary risk – and a perfect storm for fraud.
“Get Safe Online has been delivering online safety awareness programmes for nearly 20 years – our priority is and will always be to minimise the risk of online fraud and to help everyone navigate the internet safely, securely and with confidence. So, when we consider the introduction of caps for ticket prices, what sounds like a win for consumers could actually be a ticking time bomb for fraud.
“The facts are clear: capping resale prices on regulated platforms won’t stop touts. It will push ticket sales into the wild, unregulated world of social media, where fraud is rampant and consumer protection non-existent. Meanwhile, touts will simply adapt, flooding riskier corners of the internet where they can operate with impunity.
“Data from Lloyds Bank found that 90% of scams related to Oasis tickets originated from fake posts and ads on social media. 54% of scams reported to Revolut come from Meta-owned channels like Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. According to Santander’s Scamtracker, £350,000 was lost to ticket scams in just the first quarter of 2025 – a number that’s rising as fans scramble for tickets to sold-out acts like Oasis and Coldplay.
“This isn’t hypothetical, we’ve seen the damage firsthand. Research by Bradshaw Advisory shows that the incidence of ticket fraud in Victoria, Australia and Ireland – jurisdictions with a resale price cap – is nearly four times higher than the UK. In Australia, after price caps were introduced, over £125,000 (AUD 260,000) was lost to fake Taylor Swift Eras Tour tickets. In Ireland, where price caps have been in place since 2021, social media scams have surged – yet not one tout has been prosecuted.
“The panic surrounding recent on-sales has shown time and again that fans are willing to take risks, turning to unregulated social media sites for tickets when they are desperate to attend a show. Our recent research with Opinium shows that 42% of people have bought tickets through social media, often ‘out of desperation’ for sold-out events. Yet more than one in 10 end up getting scammed. The demand for tickets is quite simply outpacing supply – and if price caps are introduced, the problem will only escalate.
“Regulated resale platforms offer transparency and consumer protection. Stripping away that safety net will drive fans to unregulated spaces where scammers thrive, accountability is minimal and recovery is nearly impossible.
“Meanwhile, touts won’t stop, they’ll just shift their operations to unregulated spaces, where no one is watching. This isn’t consumer protection, it’s a fast track to fraud, with devastating consequences for fans.
“If we are serious about protecting fans, we must start viewing resale as part of the solution, rather than the enemy. Price caps may sound like an easy win. But the reality is they’re a shortcut to a surge in fraud – and fans will be the ones footing the bill.”
