Max SteventonMusic fans lost an estimated £150m to ticket fraud in the past year, according to research commissioned by O2.
The research found that 14% of gig-goers surveyed had bought a fake ticket, with 77% of those purchases made through online platforms.
People aged 18 to 24 were the most likely age group surveyed to have been sold a fake ticket, with 31% reporting that they had been affected. This compared with 4% of respondents aged 55 and over.
The research was published as the government and O2 launched a campaign encouraging consumers to check the source of tickets before purchasing from resale platforms and social media.
The government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign advises consumers to buy tickets through official ticketing websites and avoid making payments outside established payment platforms.
The research, conducted by Censuswide among 2,000 UK adults between June 23 and 29, found that 8.12% of respondents who had previously bought a concert ticket said they had been sold a fake ticket in the past year.
O2 calculated that around 2.4 million UK adults had been sold a fake music concert ticket during the period. Applying the median reported loss of £75 to this figure produced an estimated total loss of more than £150m.
The campaign comes as artists including Ariana Grande, The Weeknd and Bon Jovi are scheduled to tour this summer.
The government said it had invested £250m earlier this year as part of its fraud strategy, which included the creation of an Online Crime Centre intended to bring together police and industry to disrupt fraud. It has also announced plans to prohibit the resale of live event tickets above their original price. Draft legislation is expected to be brought forward as part of the government’s plans to regulate ticket resale.
O2 sponsors 21 venues in the UK and said more than 1.7 million tickets were sold through its Priority Tickets service last year. The company has campaigned with the FanFair Alliance on ticketing since 2017 and launched its Stamp It Tout online hub last year, providing information on the resale market.
“Fraud is an absolutely shameful crime, and this data shows that anyone can be a victim,” said fraud minister Lord Hanson. “Scammers exploit our excitement and desperation to see our favourite artists live. They post fake messages on social media seeking to catch fans when their guard is down in a last-minute rush for tickets.
“I urge everyone to Stop! Think Fraud before buying tickets – let’s not let scammers get in the way of enjoying concerts this summer.”
Virgin Media O2 director of partnerships and sponsorships Gareth Griffiths said, “Ticketing scams are a blight on the UK’s live music industry, and it’s heartbreaking to see so many fans being targeted.
“Seeing your favourite artist live should be an exciting experience, not one that leaves you out of pocket or turned away at the door. That’s why O2 is encouraging fans to stay vigilant, buy tickets only from official authorised services and use capped fan-to-fan resale platforms when a show is sold out.”