Social media scammers are targeting football fans by flogging non-existant World Cup tickets, the Home Office has warned – with fans losing hundreds of pounds this season
The Home Office has issued a warning to football fans(Image: The FA via Getty Images)
Social media scammers are flogging non-existent World Cup tickets for hundreds of pounds, anti-fraud chiefs have warned.
Alarming new research shows the number of football ticket scams in the UK has risen 36% over six months – with victims losing an average of £215 over the season. This is over 40% more than last year.
Experts say the World Cup will be a prime target for fraudsters, especially given the huge cost of tickets. FIFA faces a backlash after ramping up the cost of best available seats to nearly £25,000 for the competition in the US, Mexico and Canada.
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Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds – which is partnering with the Home Office to tackle ticket fraud – said “Fraudsters thrive on urgency and target fans looking for hard‑to‑get tickets for big‑name fixtures. Most of the football ticket scams we see start on social media – especially Facebook and Instagram – before the criminal moves the buyer onto WhatsApp and insists on a bank transfer to pay.
“It’s incredibly convincing, and we don’t want fans to lose their money trying to support their team. We’re urging supporters to stay alert and stick to official ticketing channels.”
It is expected that online tricksters will use a similar approach, creating fake waiting lists to give their victims a sense of urgency. Analysis of thousands of scam cases found fans wanting to watch Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester United were the most likely to get scammed from October 2025 to March 2026.
Fraud Minister Lord Hanson said: “Only buy directly from FIFA or the FIFA Resale Marketplace. Missing out on a big match is disappointing, but becoming a victim to a scam makes it even harder to bear.
“Our new fraud strategy sets out how we will use every tool at our disposal to disrupt and dismantle criminal operations, bring fraudsters to justice and strengthen support for victims.”
Earlier this year ministers launched a new Fraud Strategy, which included a £31m investment for a new Online Crime Centre.
