As the excitement builds for the upcoming Premier League season, football fans are being warned to exercise caution when purchasing match tickets. Recent data reveals that fraudulent ticket scams have cost fans across the UK millions of pounds over the last two seasons, highlighting an ongoing and concerning trend. Banks, government officials, and consumer experts are joining forces to alert supporters about the risks of buying tickets from unofficial sources and the importance of staying alert against scams.

Lloyds Bank, a major financial institution in the UK, has estimated that more than £2.5 million has been lost to football ticket fraud since the start of the 2023/24 season. This figure underscores the sheer scale of the problem affecting supporters nationwide. Although Lloyds customers reported losses exceeding £500,000 in just the past two seasons, the bank believes that the actual number of victims is much higher, with at least 12,000 people falling prey to fraudsters during this time.

Among those affected, the average loss per victim was approximately £218 last season – a significant amount for any football fan. The impact extends beyond just the financial damage; many victims face the crushing disappointment of missing out on games they paid to attend, often after saving for months or even years.

According to Lloyds’ data, supporters of Liverpool have been the most frequently targeted, followed closely by fans of Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Manchester City. The problem is not limited to the Premier League alone; fans of Celtic, Rangers, and even lower-league teams like Wrexham AFC have also been caught in the........

© Blitz