Barclays: More than a quarter of millennial festival-goers have fallen victim to a ticket scam

The warning comes ahead of the festival season when hundreds of thousands of tickets will be snapped up, amid booming demand. However, thousands will be left disappointed and on the hunt for tickets to sold out events, leaving music lovers vulnerable to scammers.

According to the research, victims are at risk of losing £179 on average from the sophisticated crime, which is more than the average European festival ticket1.

Millennial2 festival goers – fearful of missing out on must see events – appear most at risk from fraudsters, with a quarter (26 per cent) admitting they had fallen for ticket scams, the survey from Barclays found.

Those victims are also more likely to being targeted by criminals multiple times, with more than a third (37 per cent) falling for at least three different ticketing scams in the last two years.

The desperation to secure dream tickets may be clouding music fans’ judgement. Although 40 per cent said buying a ticket from a tout on a social media group carries one of the greatest risks of being scammed, it does not necessarily put them off.   

Surprisingly, 40 per cent of 25-34-year-olds admitted they would be prepared to use social media groups to purchase a ticket, despite knowing the dangers.

The risk to millennials is a trend that is reflected in Barclays own data – which includes ticketing scams – as it shows that 40 per cent of reported scam cases3 are from 18-29-year olds.

With criminals using a range of methods to tempt music fans, from offering tickets on social media, as well as directing targets to bogus ticketing sites, falling victim to a ticket scam has never been easier.

Ross Martin, Barclays head of digital safety, said: “As we enter the festival season, it is easy to forget our online safety as people look to secure their must-have tickets. Yet, we should all be aware of the risks when purchasing tickets and make sure we are carrying out proper safety checks, to ensure our festival experience is not ruined by fraudsters.”

That’s why, ahead of the festival season, Barclays is raising awareness of ticket scams and providing quick and simple ways for people to better protect themselves from the scammers ready to pounce on fans who fear missing out on their dream event.