The bank says more than £240,000 has been lost to sports ticket scams so far this year.

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Almost a quarter of a million pounds (£243,000) was lost to sports ticket scams between January and September this year, according to figures from a major bank.

A third (33%) of that money, totaling £80,491, was lost by fans aged 19 to 34. Santander said.

people According to bank data, this age group accounts for 84 percent of cases by volume.

Criminals can send fake tickets, or present tickets that don’t exist. Sales Usually advertised on social media or through fake websites, the bank said.

Football-related scams accounted for half (52%) or £127,544 of the losses Santander saw during the period.

However, motor sports fans lost the biggest amount on average at £3,851, followed by golf fans with an average loss of £860.

Overall, the average loss in sports ticket scams has risen sharply, rising from £225 in 2023 to £352 this year, Santander said.

Chris Ainsley, head of fraud risk management at Santander, said: “Scammers know how to capitalize on the excitement of the big games. Don’t let them score at your expense.

“A quick check can be the difference between being happy in the stands or being left on the bench, out of pocket and out of luck.”

Here are some tips from Santander to avoid ticket scams:

1. Buy tickets from trusted official sellers and websites.

2. If tickets are sold out, don’t let the excitement of the moment force you to buy them from an illegal source.

3. Avoid paying by bank transfer or PayPal Friends and family If you are buying a resale ticket from other than official sellers or websites.

4. Make sure the website you are buying from is secure. When buying online, check the payment pages by looking for the padlock symbol in the address bar. The website must start with “https”.

5. Fraudsters may offer tickets to popular events that are sold out or ask for a lower price than expected. Don’t forget that if something sounds too good, it is true.