Biggest scams to look out for: From concert and football tickets to holiday fake deals

Purchase scams surged by almost half (42%) in 2023, as more Brits in pursuit of concert and football tickets, a good car deal, and even pets, fell victim to fraudsters.

Social media platforms appear to still be rife with fraudsters, as a whopping 78% of scams began on these platforms, according to figures from Lloyds Bank (LLOY.L).

Flight tickets and caravan holidays top the list of holiday scams, with nearly half hatching on Facebook Marketplace. Lloyds Bank advises, "Trust your gut and buy from trusted retailers, or better yet, go direct to the source."

The figures also revealed concert ticket scams surged fivefold (529%), while football ticket scams doubled (101%). On average these fraudsters are ripping off unsuspecting victims to the tune of £110 in the case of concerts, and £154, when it comes to football tickets.

The public should be cautious when searching for UEFA Euro Championship, Olympic Summer Games and Taylor Swift’s world tour tickets.

Those trying to acquire a pet should be aware that scams involving animals are up by 24% compared to last year, with victims finding themselves £307 out of pocket. Deals around Yorkshire Terriers, Rottweilers and Pomeranians should ring some alarm bells, so make sure you are extra careful.

Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds Bank urges shoppers to be cautious: "Don't let scammers snatch your cash online. If a deal seems too good to be true on Facebook Marketplace, it probably is.

Read more: Black Friday: How to stay safe from scams as a third of Brits fall victim

“Fraudsters are constantly on the lookout for ways to scam people out of their hard-earned cash and, if you’re not on your guard when shopping online, you may be their next victim.” she added.

The figures are based on analysis of relevant purchase scams reported by Lloyds Banking Group customers between 2021 – 2023.

Car scams are up 74% between 2023 and 2022, with the average loss reaching almost £1000. When it comes to designer goods, Nike shoes, Uggs and Louis Vuitton and Chanel bags are a favourite among shoppers and fraudsters, with scams costing Britons around £177.

Watch out for holiday scams!

After the first Saturday back to work in January, dubbed 'Sunshine Saturday,' scammers are on the prowl for unsuspecting holidaymakers.

Lloyds revealed that flight tickets are the go-to fake item, and staycations, especially caravan holidays, are also popular traps. Lloyds warn that nearly half of these scams lurk on Facebook Marketplace, but even trusted sites like AirBnB and Booking.com aren't foolproof.

Read more: How to protect yourself from scams this Christmas

The bank advises consumers to buy tickets and stays directly from reliable sources or trusted retailers, and always check reviews on sites like TripAdvisor and to stay savvy to enjoy a scam-free getaway.

Stay vigilant

With the rise of online shopping, consumer watchdog Which? advises to stay vigilant against fake websites and scams. The group advises to watch out for websites mimicking popular brands with unusual domains like .net or .org may signal potential scams and ensure the website has a padlock symbol in the URL.

It's important to scrutinise websites, looking for poor language, pixelated images, or outdated logos, which could indicate a scam. Legitimate sites provide clear contact details. If a site lacks a 'Contact Us' page or only offers a form, it might be suspicious.

Read more: Revealed: The most convincing scams of 2023 so far

If a deal seems too good to be true it probably is, as scammers lure shoppers with incredibly low prices for fake or non-existent items.

Lloyds advises to pay attention to warnings when setting up a new payee or make an unusual payment. And to sticking to credit or debit cards for online purchases as bank transfers offer little recourse if the item is fake or never arrives.

To protect people from these organised criminals, Lloyds Bank has included top tips on how to avoid them.

Local and national government action

Termed as online shopping scams, the trade body UK Finance disclosed that there were 77,000 instances of this scam in the initial six months of 2023, averaging more than 400 cases daily.

With the countdown to Christmas local authorities are also taking action by making people aware of some of the tactics fraudsters use like fake websites, scam texts and bogus competitions.

Councillor Andrew Reid, Suffolk County Council cabinet member for public health said: “These sorts of scams can appear very plausible, and all too often innocent people fall prey to them.

Suffolk Trading Standards is warning people not to get caught out by scammers at Christmas and have been running a social media campaign.

In May 2023, the UK government launched its Fraud Strategy and last month it published the Online Fraud Charter. Through this charter, firms show that they recognise the risk of fraud and financial exploitation to the UK public on their platforms and commit to tackling it.

"We are taking the fight to the fraudsters, targeting the criminals that try to exploit us when we are online," said Thomas Tugendhat, minister for Security.

Lloyds Banks warns the public not to "fooled into trusting a stranger on the internet to secure a quick bargain. Social media is rife with fake adverts from criminal sellers."

Watch: Don't Waste Your Money: Top online scams

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