Ticket scams for Christmas shows, panto and concerts: the warning signs and what to do

What's happened

Tickets for this year's pantos, Christmas shows and next year's big tours are selling now, and banks say ticket scams are still climbing. NatWest said in June that the amount its customers lost to ticket scams rose by 89% between 2023 and 2025, and that scams linked to music events and festivals rose 17% between 2024 and 2025. In May, Lloyds Bank said football ticket scams were up 36% between October 2025 and March 2026 compared with a year earlier, with victims losing £215 on average.

Santander customers claimed £44,675 for ticket and event scams in January to March 2026 alone. The most recent full-year police figures, published in April 2025, showed 9,826 ticket fraud reports in 2024 and £9.7 million lost. Concert tickets were involved in 38% of reports.

Lloyds says most of the scams it sees start on social media, "especially Facebook and Instagram", before the fraudster moves the buyer onto WhatsApp and insists on a bank transfer. Once the money is sent, the seller blocks the buyer and disappears.

The government has announced plans to ban reselling tickets for more than their original price. That isn't law yet and no start date has been set, so fake sellers can still hide among genuine touts.

The warning signs

• Tickets for a sold-out show on social media. A "spare" pair for a panto or concert that sold out weeks ago, offered in a group, a comment or a direct message.
• A request for a bank transfer. Police and banks agree this is the biggest red flag. Paying by bank transfer to a stranger is like handing over cash.
• Pressure to pay quickly. "I've got other buyers waiting" is meant to stop you checking.
• A photo of the ticket or a booking email as "proof".
• A website that looks like the venue's but isn't. Check the web address carefully, especially if you found it through an advert.

What it could cost: a worked example

This is an illustration, not a real case. Jo spots four tickets for a sold-out family panto on a local Facebook group at £35 each. The seller moves the chat to WhatsApp and asks for £140 by bank transfer. The next day they ask for another £60 "transfer fee" to release the e-tickets. Jo pays, and the seller blocks her. She's lost £200 and still has no tickets.

Because Jo paid by bank transfer, she can ask her bank to refund her under the reimbursement rules that started on 7 October 2024. Banks must usually pay back victims of this kind of fraud, but they're allowed to keep an excess of up to £100. So Jo could get as little as £100 back.

If she'd paid £140 by credit card instead, section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act wouldn't help, because it only covers single items costing more than £100 and each ticket was £35. But she could ask her card provider for a chargeback, and a card company can refuse payments to a suspicious seller in the first place.

How to check before you buy

1. Start at the venue's own website. It will name its box office and any official ticket agents. If tickets have sold out, check whether the venue or promoter runs an official resale or returns list.
2. Look for STAR membership. The Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers has a member directory on its website. Members follow a code of practice and offer an approved dispute resolution service.
3. Know what a resale listing must tell you. Under section 90 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, anyone reselling through a resale site must tell you the seat, block and row, any restrictions on who can use the ticket, and the face value, before you pay.
4. Check the venue's terms. Some venues cancel tickets that have been resold.
5. Pay by card, never by bank transfer to someone you don't know.

What to do if you've been caught

1. Call your bank straight away on the number on the back of your card, or call 159 to reach your bank's fraud team. Ask about a refund. You have 13 months to claim, but the sooner the better.
2. Report it to Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or online. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
3. Forward scam messages. Send suspicious texts to 7726 for free, and forward suspicious emails to [email protected].
4. Report the seller's profile or post to Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp or whichever site you found them on.
5. Keep everything. Screenshot the advert, the chat and the payment details before the seller deletes them.

Your questions answered

Is it legal to resell tickets for more than I paid?

For most shows and concerts, yes, for now, as long as resale sites give buyers the information the law requires. The planned ban on selling above face value hasn't been passed yet. Football is different: in England and Wales, reselling tickets for most matches without the club or organiser's permission is already a criminal offence.

Is a photo of the ticket proof the seller has it?

No. Photos and booking emails are easy to fake, and one image can be sent to many buyers.

Will my bank refund me?

If you paid by bank transfer on or after 7 October 2024, your bank should normally refund you within five working days, up to £85,000, minus any excess of up to £100. It can refuse if it thinks you were "grossly negligent", but the Payment Systems Regulator says that's a high bar.

Sources: NatWest, Lloyds Bank, Santander, Durham Constabulary (Action Fraud figures), Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 90, Payment Systems Regulator, STAR