Cliff Notes – Oasis fans have lost more than £2,000,000 to ticket scams, bank says
- Over £2 million has been lost by Oasis fans to ticket scams since the announcement of the band’s reunion tour, with Lloyds Banking Group reporting that 56% of all concert ticket scams involved Oasis fans.
- Scammers have primarily targeted fans through unofficial social media groups, with the average loss per victim reported at £436, significantly higher than the typical concert ticket scam loss.
- The majority of victims are aged 35 to 44, with Manchester, Edinburgh, and Warrington being the most affected areas; fans are urged to purchase tickets only from official sources to avoid fraud.
Oasis fans have lost more than £2,000,000 to ticket scams, bank says
Thousands of Oasis fans are Looking Back in Anger after they were scammed out of £2,000,000 collectively since tickets dropped for the long-awaited reunion tour.
When bickering Britpop brothers Noel, 57, and Liam Gallagher, 52, announced a truce and a 2025 tour in August last year following their 15-year public feud, fans were crying their hearts out in anticipation.
Days later, the golden Oasis Live ’25 Tour tickets went on sale and were quickly snapped up by fans, with Ticketmaster’s controversial dynamic pricing model causing mayhem.
But inflated prices due to huge demand – not to mention never-ending queues – weren’t the only barriers for fans set on bagging a space at the historic UK tour, kicking off on July 4.
Lloyds Banking Group has now revealed the extent of successful scams carried out on desperate Oasis fans since tickets went on sale, and the results are Up In The Sky.
Basing the calculation on the volume of fraud reports made by its own customers, Lloyds said Oasis fans made up more than half (56%) of all reported concert ticket scams so far this year, losing £436 on average.
One unfortunate customer lost over £1,700 in their efforts to get their hands on a ticket, and the average loss is around double (£200 more) than the average concert ticket scam loss seen by the bank.
Millennials were most likely to fall victim to an Oasis ticketing scam, with 35 to 44-year-olds the most affected, making up nearly a third (30%) of all cases.
Fans based in the Gallagher brothers’ stomping ground of Manchester made up the highest number of people who were scammed, along with Edinburgh and Warrington fans.
Oasis previously warned fans to only buy from official sites
After Oasis ’25 tickets sold out in August, the band posted a statement on X, saying: ‘We have noticed people attempting to sell tickets on the secondary market since the start of the pre-sale.
‘Please note, tickets can ONLY be resold, at face value, via @Ticketmaster and @Twickets. Tickets sold in breach of the terms and conditions will be canceled by the promoters.’
The bank found there had been more than 1,000 cases reported since fans’ scramble for tickets started last summer.
Based on its share of banking customers, it estimates that across the UK there are likely to have been at least 5,000 victims since tickets went on sale, with more than £2 million lost to fraudsters.
Scams were mostly found to originate from unofficial Facebook groups set up on social media, dedicated to buying and selling Oasis tickets.
Often, scams will show up as fake adverts or listings on social media, offering tickets at discounted prices or entry to events that have already sold out at inflated prices.
Purchase scams happen when someone is tricked into sending money via bank transfer to buy goods or services that do not exist. Victims are asked to pay upfront for the tickets and scammers vanish after receiving the money.
There is expected to be another wave of scams before the Oasis tour kicks off in July, as the most cases happen after the ticket drop and as the event approaches.
Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds, said: ‘The Oasis tour is the latest target for ticket scammers, with millions of pounds of fans’ money stolen before the gigs even kick off.
‘The fact that so many cases start with fake listings on social media, often in violation of the platforms’ own rules, underscores the importance of these companies taking stronger action to tackle scams.
‘It’s vital that consumers feel empowered to shop safely online. Buying directly from reputable, authorised retailers is the only way to guarantee you’re paying for a genuine ticket.
‘If you’re asked to pay via bank transfer, particularly by a seller you’ve found on social media, that should immediately set alarm bells ringing.’
Lisa Webb, a consumer law expert at Which? said: ‘Scammers are always looking for new ways to part people from their hard-earned cash and unfortunately, Oasis tickets being in such high demand has created a perfect storm for criminals.’
She added: ‘If you spot any suspicious posts, you can report them to the social media platform and the National Cyber Security Centre to investigate.’