The ticket you want most is the one scammers sell.
Sold-out concerts and festivals attract fake offers, especially on social media. UK law sets out what resale listings must tell you, and government and police advice is clear about where and how to pay.
When a ticket is resold through a resale site, the buyer must be told the seat or standing area, any restrictions on who can use it, and its face value.
General information only, not financial advice. For advice on your own situation, speak to a regulated financial adviser or a free money-advice service.
A QUICK OFFER CHECK
Where is the ticket coming from?
Pick where the offer comes from to see what the guidance says. The bar shows how much caution the advice calls for.
Based on Home Office and Action Fraud advice (June 2025) and the Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 90. General information, not legal advice.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Small sums, lots of them.
One figure on what was lost, one on how many people reported it.
£1.6 million
Lost to gig ticket fraud in 2024
Home Office figures from Action Fraud data show losses to concert ticket scams more than doubled in 2024 compared with the year before.
LOSSES · ACTION FRAUD
≈ 3,700
Gig ticket fraud reports in 2024
Almost half referred to offers made on social media. People in their twenties were the most likely victims, at 27% of all victims.
REPORTS · ACTION FRAUD
The government says fraud is the most commonly experienced crime in the UK, affecting 1 in 15 adults each year, and has announced plans to cap the price of resold event tickets.
FOUR CHECKS BEFORE YOU PAY
Thirty seconds can save the night.
These come from the government's Stop! Think Fraud advice, the police and the resale rules in the Consumer Rights Act.
Stop and think
If tickets for a sold-out event appear out of nowhere, take a moment to check the offer is genuine before you pay.
Check the seller
Use the venue's box office or an official ticketing site. For resale, check the platform is an official resale partner.
Read the listing
A resale listing must show the seat or standing area, any restrictions on who can use the ticket, and its face value.
Pay the safe way
Stay on the site's own payment system and use a credit card. Never pay a stranger by bank transfer or virtual currency.
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.
REFUNDS AND CARDS
No cooling-off, but some cover.
AI-generated image, not a photograph of a real person or place.
The Consumer Contracts Regulations give a 14-day right to cancel many online purchases, but not services related to leisure activities where the contract sets a specific date. That covers most concert, sport and theatre tickets.
Paying by credit card can add protection: under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, the card provider can be jointly liable for a misrepresentation or breach of contract on single items priced over £100 and up to £30,000.
Questions
Questions people ask
Can I cancel a concert ticket within 14 days?
Usually not. The Consumer Contracts Regulations exclude services related to leisure activities where the contract provides for a specific date, so the 14-day cancellation right does not apply to most event tickets.
What must a ticket resale listing tell me?
Under section 90 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015, the buyer must be given the seat or standing area, any restriction on who can use the ticket, and the face value, where these apply.
Is it safer to pay by credit card?
Police advice is to pay using a credit card. Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act can make the card provider jointly liable for some claims on single items priced over £100 and up to £30,000.
Who falls for ticket scams?
Anyone can. In 2024, people in their twenties were the most likely victims of gig ticket fraud, at 27% of all victims, according to Home Office figures.
What are the warning signs of ticket fraud?
Police list unsolicited messages offering tickets or deals, and requests to pay by bank transfer. Offers for sold-out events on social media are a common route.
