Music fans urged to be wary of last-minute Glastonbury and Oasis ‘offers'
Action Fraud data released by the Home Office show people lost more than £1.6 million in scams related to concert tickets in 2024 – more than double the total recorded the previous year.
Around 3,700 gig ticket fraud reports were made to Action Fraud in 2024, with nearly half referring to offers made on social media platforms.
People aged in their 20s were most likely to become victims of ticket fraud last year, accounting for more than a quarter (27%) of victims, the figures indicate.
The Government is urging people to follow the Stop! Think Fraud campaign advice to ensure they are protected from scams ahead of the busy summer of gigs and festivals.
Fraud Minister Lord Hanson said: 'While millions of Britons are getting ready to attend concerts this summer, the scammers are getting ready to exploit the desperate search for tickets, posting fake messages on social media sites offering to resell tickets they can't use or making last-minute offers from fake ticket companies.
'That is why our campaign is called Stop! Think Fraud, so no matter how real a deal looks, we all need to take a moment to think: am I being ripped off? So, let's all stay cautious, stay alert and stay protected from fraud. Don't let the scammers ruin your summer.'
Tor Garnett, commander for cyber and economic crime at City of London Police, said: 'People go to gigs for that 'once-in-a-lifetime' experience – especially at sold-out concerts and festivals, where the atmosphere is unmatched.
'But the excitement can vanish in an instant when fans discover their tickets are fake or they've been scammed through social media or resale sites. The loss isn't just financial – it's deeply emotional, turning anticipation into heartbreak.
'Key signs of ticket fraud include unsolicited messages with ticket offers and deals, or requests for payment via bank transfer.'
Mike Andrews, national co-ordinator for the National Trading Standards e-crime team, said: 'Every summer, music fans desperate to see their favourite artists at festivals or stadium tours are left distraught and considerably out of pocket at the turnstiles as they discover the tickets they bought in good faith are in fact part of a fraudulent scam.
'Recent National Trading Standards prosecutions have led to serious jail time for ticket touts, which should send a message to all those who choose to engage in fraud that there are severe consequences.'
Founder of face-value ticket resale platform Twickets Richard Davies said: 'We've seen first-hand how fraudsters attempt to exploit high-demand tours.
'In recent weeks alone, we've had to warn fans about multiple fake Twickets accounts and websites set up to trick Oasis fans into handing over money for non-existent tickets.'
Andrew Parsons, managing director of Ticketmaster UK, said: 'The safest way to buy tickets is always through official channels – if you're unsure who that is, check the artist's official website as they'll always list legitimate sellers. A lot of fake tickets we see on the gates over summer are bought on social media.
'We hate having to turn fans away, so always avoid buying tickets from unofficial platforms or individuals, even if they seem genuine.'
Here are some tips from the campaign for buying tickets safely:
1. If you are offered tickets for something in high demand, do not let fomo (fear of missing out) rush your decision. Take a moment to stop, think, and check if the offer is genuine.
2. Only buy tickets from the venue's box office or an official ticketing website.
3. Do not move away from an official payment platform to make a direct payment via bank transfer or virtual currency. Use the website's recommended payment methods to stay protected.
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North Wales Chronicle
an hour ago
- North Wales Chronicle
Oasis thank their fans as they close their first gig together in 16 years
Noel and Liam Gallagher swaggered on to the stage before waving at concertgoers at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday, the first stop on their long-awaited worldwide reunion tour. The brothers, who had not performed together since their dramatic split in 2009, blasted through their setlist, kicking off with Hello, from their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? During the gig, the lead singer apologised to fans for how long it had taken for them to reunite. Liam spoke to the audience several times throughout the set, saying: 'Hello people, it's been too long,' before their third song, (What's the Story). Before launching into Cigarettes And Alcohol, Liam demanded the audience embrace, telling fans to turn around and hug a stranger. He said: 'Right then beautiful people, I want to see you all turn around and put your arms round each other. 'And when the tune starts, jump up and f****** down.' Both brothers made joking references to the dynamic pricing scandal, which caused outrage among fans trying to buy tickets for shows in the UK and Ireland, with some standard tickets appearing to jump from £148 to £355. The controversy prompted the Government and the UK's competition watchdog to pledge to look at the use of dynamic pricing. After Liam walked off stage following Roll With It, Noel took over singing duties for the first time. He quoted the audience a price the gig was worth, before saying: 'It's just gone up.' Later, Liam said: 'Was it worth the £40,000 you paid for a ticket?' During the final bars of Live Forever, a picture of Diogo Jota, the Liverpool footballer who died in a car accident on Thursday, was displayed, and the crowd cheered and applauded the gesture. As they broke into fan-favourite Champagne Supernova, their final song of the evening, the lead singer said: 'Right you beautiful people, this is it. 'Nice one for putting up with us over the years, we know we've been difficult. 'Champagne Supernova, nice one.' While the brothers shared no banter on stage throughout the gig, they very briefly high-fived and half-hugged each other's shoulders after their closing track. Oasis was supported by fellow 90s group Cast and former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft. Cast, an indie rock band from Liverpool, also paid tribute to Diogo Jota, dedicating their top 10 hit Walkaway to the footballer. Ashcroft said he was 'proud to be here on this historic night', before playing many of his biggest songs, finishing with Bittersweet Symphony. Tens of thousands of fans descended on Cardiff ahead of the gig. The stadium is able to host a maximum of 74,500 people. On Friday afternoon, every pub and bar along St Mary's Street in the Welsh capital was filled with people waiting for the concert to start, with the majority wearing the Britpop band's merchandise. Fans Lachlan Weekes and Jayden Helm, who spent more than a day travelling from Sydney, Australia, to attend the concert, were among them. Mr Weekes said: 'We've been planning it forever. We always said that if they got back together, we'd be at that first show.' Mr Helm said: 'We've been lifelong fans – we're 22 and 21, so haven't really had a chance to see them before. 'We always said it was worth it to come, we wouldn't miss it for the world. To take time off work to come over here, it's more than worth it.' Lawrence Evans, from just outside Swansea, said his 'life changed' when he started listening to the band, as he then started to play music and write songs. He said: 'They were the band that made me realise how much guitar music meant to me.' His son Jimmy said of the concert: 'The fact that it's in Wales is really special for us. 'It's the first time I get to see Oasis, (my dad) he's lost count, he's seen them countless times. 'I've been waiting for this day all my life.' Glenn Moss, an Oasis fan from Essex, who regularly gets mistaken for Liam Gallagher, said he started working as an impersonator before the band's reunion, having previously been against the idea. He said: 'I get stopped all the time – as soon as I got here yesterday four people within five minutes stopped me asking if I was him or for a photo.' The reunion announcement came 15 years after Noel quit the Manchester band, saying he 'simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer', after a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris. Oasis will visit Manchester's Heaton Park, London's Wembley Stadium, Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin's Croke Park throughout July, August and September. The group will then head to Japan, South Korea, South America, Australia and North America. A movie, produced by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, is being made in conjunction with the reunion tour. The band was led by lead guitarist Noel and his brother, lead vocalist Liam, during their 18 years together. Oasis signed to independent record label Creation Records in 1993, rising to fame with the release of their debut chart-topping album Definitely Maybe on August 29 1994. Speaking after the concert, Steve from Hertfordshire, said the band were 'F****** wicked', describing them as 'the best band ever'. Steve said he went to see them in 2006 and they had lived up to his expectations, but admitted to having had quite a few beers before the show. Asked for his favourite part, he said: 'The beginning, the middle, and also the end. 'All of it was fantastic, we had a really good time, we've come all the way from Hertfordshire to see them in Wales.' Morgan, 20, from Wales, said: 'It made my life, honestly, I could get hit by a car and die, and I'd have a smile on my face.' Morgan described himself as an Oasis fan from birth, with his father encouraging him to get into them. 'It was unreal, being in that stadium, I'm still shaking, being here tonight is something else.'
Leader Live
an hour ago
- Leader Live
Oasis thank their fans as they close their first gig together in 16 years
Noel and Liam Gallagher swaggered on to the stage before waving at concertgoers at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday, the first stop on their long-awaited worldwide reunion tour. The brothers, who had not performed together since their dramatic split in 2009, blasted through their setlist, kicking off with Hello, from their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? During the gig, the lead singer apologised to fans for how long it had taken for them to reunite. Liam spoke to the audience several times throughout the set, saying: 'Hello people, it's been too long,' before their third song, (What's the Story). Before launching into Cigarettes And Alcohol, Liam demanded the audience embrace, telling fans to turn around and hug a stranger. He said: 'Right then beautiful people, I want to see you all turn around and put your arms round each other. 'And when the tune starts, jump up and f****** down.' Both brothers made joking references to the dynamic pricing scandal, which caused outrage among fans trying to buy tickets for shows in the UK and Ireland, with some standard tickets appearing to jump from £148 to £355. The controversy prompted the Government and the UK's competition watchdog to pledge to look at the use of dynamic pricing. After Liam walked off stage following Roll With It, Noel took over singing duties for the first time. He quoted the audience a price the gig was worth, before saying: 'It's just gone up.' Later, Liam said: 'Was it worth the £40,000 you paid for a ticket?' During the final bars of Live Forever, a picture of Diogo Jota, the Liverpool footballer who died in a car accident on Thursday, was displayed, and the crowd cheered and applauded the gesture. As they broke into fan-favourite Champagne Supernova, their final song of the evening, the lead singer said: 'Right you beautiful people, this is it. 'Nice one for putting up with us over the years, we know we've been difficult. 'Champagne Supernova, nice one.' While the brothers shared no banter on stage throughout the gig, they very briefly high-fived and half-hugged each other's shoulders after their closing track. Oasis was supported by fellow 90s group Cast and former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft. Cast, an indie rock band from Liverpool, also paid tribute to Diogo Jota, dedicating their top 10 hit Walkaway to the footballer. Ashcroft said he was 'proud to be here on this historic night', before playing many of his biggest songs, finishing with Bittersweet Symphony. Tens of thousands of fans descended on Cardiff ahead of the gig. The stadium is able to host a maximum of 74,500 people. On Friday afternoon, every pub and bar along St Mary's Street in the Welsh capital was filled with people waiting for the concert to start, with the majority wearing the Britpop band's merchandise. Fans Lachlan Weekes and Jayden Helm, who spent more than a day travelling from Sydney, Australia, to attend the concert, were among them. Mr Weekes said: 'We've been planning it forever. We always said that if they got back together, we'd be at that first show.' Mr Helm said: 'We've been lifelong fans – we're 22 and 21, so haven't really had a chance to see them before. 'We always said it was worth it to come, we wouldn't miss it for the world. To take time off work to come over here, it's more than worth it.' Lawrence Evans, from just outside Swansea, said his 'life changed' when he started listening to the band, as he then started to play music and write songs. He said: 'They were the band that made me realise how much guitar music meant to me.' His son Jimmy said of the concert: 'The fact that it's in Wales is really special for us. 'It's the first time I get to see Oasis, (my dad) he's lost count, he's seen them countless times. 'I've been waiting for this day all my life.' Glenn Moss, an Oasis fan from Essex, who regularly gets mistaken for Liam Gallagher, said he started working as an impersonator before the band's reunion, having previously been against the idea. He said: 'I get stopped all the time – as soon as I got here yesterday four people within five minutes stopped me asking if I was him or for a photo.' The reunion announcement came 15 years after Noel quit the Manchester band, saying he 'simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer', after a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris. Oasis will visit Manchester's Heaton Park, London's Wembley Stadium, Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin's Croke Park throughout July, August and September. The group will then head to Japan, South Korea, South America, Australia and North America. A movie, produced by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, is being made in conjunction with the reunion tour. The band was led by lead guitarist Noel and his brother, lead vocalist Liam, during their 18 years together. Oasis signed to independent record label Creation Records in 1993, rising to fame with the release of their debut chart-topping album Definitely Maybe on August 29 1994. Speaking after the concert, Steve from Hertfordshire, said the band were 'F****** wicked', describing them as 'the best band ever'. Steve said he went to see them in 2006 and they had lived up to his expectations, but admitted to having had quite a few beers before the show. Asked for his favourite part, he said: 'The beginning, the middle, and also the end. 'All of it was fantastic, we had a really good time, we've come all the way from Hertfordshire to see them in Wales.' Morgan, 20, from Wales, said: 'It made my life, honestly, I could get hit by a car and die, and I'd have a smile on my face.' Morgan described himself as an Oasis fan from birth, with his father encouraging him to get into them. 'It was unreal, being in that stadium, I'm still shaking, being here tonight is something else.'
Rhyl Journal
an hour ago
- Rhyl Journal
Oasis thank their fans as they close their first gig together in 16 years
Noel and Liam Gallagher swaggered on to the stage before waving at concertgoers at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Friday, the first stop on their long-awaited worldwide reunion tour. The brothers, who had not performed together since their dramatic split in 2009, blasted through their setlist, kicking off with Hello, from their second album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? During the gig, the lead singer apologised to fans for how long it had taken for them to reunite. Liam spoke to the audience several times throughout the set, saying: 'Hello people, it's been too long,' before their third song, (What's the Story). Before launching into Cigarettes And Alcohol, Liam demanded the audience embrace, telling fans to turn around and hug a stranger. He said: 'Right then beautiful people, I want to see you all turn around and put your arms round each other. 'And when the tune starts, jump up and f****** down.' Both brothers made joking references to the dynamic pricing scandal, which caused outrage among fans trying to buy tickets for shows in the UK and Ireland, with some standard tickets appearing to jump from £148 to £355. The controversy prompted the Government and the UK's competition watchdog to pledge to look at the use of dynamic pricing. After Liam walked off stage following Roll With It, Noel took over singing duties for the first time. He quoted the audience a price the gig was worth, before saying: 'It's just gone up.' Later, Liam said: 'Was it worth the £40,000 you paid for a ticket?' During the final bars of Live Forever, a picture of Diogo Jota, the Liverpool footballer who died in a car accident on Thursday, was displayed, and the crowd cheered and applauded the gesture. As they broke into fan-favourite Champagne Supernova, their final song of the evening, the lead singer said: 'Right you beautiful people, this is it. 'Nice one for putting up with us over the years, we know we've been difficult. 'Champagne Supernova, nice one.' While the brothers shared no banter on stage throughout the gig, they very briefly high-fived and half-hugged each other's shoulders after their closing track. Oasis was supported by fellow 90s group Cast and former Verve frontman Richard Ashcroft. Cast, an indie rock band from Liverpool, also paid tribute to Diogo Jota, dedicating their top 10 hit Walkaway to the footballer. Ashcroft said he was 'proud to be here on this historic night', before playing many of his biggest songs, finishing with Bittersweet Symphony. Tens of thousands of fans descended on Cardiff ahead of the gig. The stadium is able to host a maximum of 74,500 people. On Friday afternoon, every pub and bar along St Mary's Street in the Welsh capital was filled with people waiting for the concert to start, with the majority wearing the Britpop band's merchandise. Fans Lachlan Weekes and Jayden Helm, who spent more than a day travelling from Sydney, Australia, to attend the concert, were among them. Mr Weekes said: 'We've been planning it forever. We always said that if they got back together, we'd be at that first show.' Mr Helm said: 'We've been lifelong fans – we're 22 and 21, so haven't really had a chance to see them before. 'We always said it was worth it to come, we wouldn't miss it for the world. To take time off work to come over here, it's more than worth it.' Lawrence Evans, from just outside Swansea, said his 'life changed' when he started listening to the band, as he then started to play music and write songs. He said: 'They were the band that made me realise how much guitar music meant to me.' His son Jimmy said of the concert: 'The fact that it's in Wales is really special for us. 'It's the first time I get to see Oasis, (my dad) he's lost count, he's seen them countless times. 'I've been waiting for this day all my life.' Glenn Moss, an Oasis fan from Essex, who regularly gets mistaken for Liam Gallagher, said he started working as an impersonator before the band's reunion, having previously been against the idea. He said: 'I get stopped all the time – as soon as I got here yesterday four people within five minutes stopped me asking if I was him or for a photo.' The reunion announcement came 15 years after Noel quit the Manchester band, saying he 'simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer', after a backstage brawl at the Rock en Seine festival in Paris. Oasis will visit Manchester's Heaton Park, London's Wembley Stadium, Edinburgh's Murrayfield Stadium and Dublin's Croke Park throughout July, August and September. The group will then head to Japan, South Korea, South America, Australia and North America. A movie, produced by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, is being made in conjunction with the reunion tour. The band was led by lead guitarist Noel and his brother, lead vocalist Liam, during their 18 years together. Oasis signed to independent record label Creation Records in 1993, rising to fame with the release of their debut chart-topping album Definitely Maybe on August 29 1994. Speaking after the concert, Steve from Hertfordshire, said the band were 'F****** wicked', describing them as 'the best band ever'. Steve said he went to see them in 2006 and they had lived up to his expectations, but admitted to having had quite a few beers before the show. Asked for his favourite part, he said: 'The beginning, the middle, and also the end. 'All of it was fantastic, we had a really good time, we've come all the way from Hertfordshire to see them in Wales.' Morgan, 20, from Wales, said: 'It made my life, honestly, I could get hit by a car and die, and I'd have a smile on my face.' Morgan described himself as an Oasis fan from birth, with his father encouraging him to get into them. 'It was unreal, being in that stadium, I'm still shaking, being here tonight is something else.'
