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• Santander data reveals a 74% increase in concert and music festival ticket scams in the first half of 2024
• Rock ‘N’ Roll Stars could cause spike in fraudster activity, with £174,108 already lost by Santander UK customers to Taylor Swift ticket scams alone in the 12 months up to June 2024.
• Ahead of tickets going on sale this weekend, Santander provides top tips for Oasis fans so that they don’t end up crying their hearts out

With Oasis tickets going on general sale tomorrow, Santander is warning fans to be on their guard against fraudsters, as the bank’s data shows a 74% increase in concert and music festival ticket scams this year already compared to last, with nearly £200,000 lost¹.

In the 12 months to June 2024, Santander customers lost £387,277 in concert and music festival scams, which accounted for over a quarter (28%) of all types of ticket scams, compared to 20% during the same period last year. If the same year-on-year increase takes place in the 12 months up to June 2025, Santander customers are at risk of potentially losing £673,862 and £2,550,777² across the whole industry - to criminals.

With just over a month until the PSR’s APP Reimbursement rules come into effect, the bank continues to urge the Government to help prevent fraudsters reaching consumers in the first place and consider the role of tech companies and telcos in fraud prevention, including reimbursing victims when the scam originated on their platform. In 2023 across all ticket scams where the origin of the scam was known, Facebook accounted for 52% of all ticket scams, with X accounting for 15%³.

Chris Ainsley, Head of Fraud Risk Management at Santander said: “After 15 years of waiting, millions of fans are understandably desperate to get their hands on Oasis tickets, so it’s crucial that fans don’t let this be a lesson in regret. Unfortunately, just as we saw criminals ruthlessly exploit Swifties, we expect to see similar levels of fraud against Oasis fans.

“The single best defence against scammers is to only purchase tickets from the official sellers and resellers – anything else risks losing your money for a ticket that may not have even existed in the first place. Always remember never to transfer money to strangers for tickets, especially for alleged tickets for sale on social media. These tickets are likely scams and recovering stolen funds can be nearly impossible.”

Top tips to avoid looking back in anger at an Oasis ticket scam include:

• Morning Glory –Tickets for the UK shows go on sale 9am tomorrow morning. Make sure you buy tickets through an official seller, such as Ticketmaster, Gigs and Tours, and SEE Tickets. Gigs in Scotland is also an official seller for the Edinburgh shows.
• Make sure the website you are buying from is safe - When buying online, check the payment pages are secure by looking for the padlock symbol in the address bar. The website should start with ‘https’.
• Say “Whatever” to social media sellers – If you do miss out on tickets initially, wait for official resale sites to have tickets available. For the Oasis tour, Twickets and Ticketmaster are the official resellers. Ticket scams are rife on social media marketplaces, posts, and in local groups, so steer clear of buying a ticket on social media. 
• Never pay by bank transfer or PayPal friends and family. Opt for safer payment methods, like debit or credit cards.

has all the information fans need to ensure they buy a genuine ticket and don’t fall victim to a scam, including information on official sellers and resellers.

More information about different types of fraud and how to spot a scam is available on the Santander website.

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The information contained in our press releases is intended solely for journalists and should not be used by consumers to make financial decisions.

Notes to Editors

1. Between 1 January 2024 and 30 June 2024 Santander customers lost £197,062 in concert and music festival scams, up from £113,527 the same time last year.
2.  Industry figures: The estimates for the overall volume and value of cases within the industry are extrapolated from Santander UK's 14 million active customers and assume a proportional volume and value among customers of other banks.
3. Data from Santander published in September 2023 covering January to July 2023, where customers reported where their ticket scam originated from.

Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. At 30 June 2024, the bank had around 19,600 employees and serves around 14 million active customers, including 7 million digital customers via a nationwide 444 branch network, telephone, mobile and online banking. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the FCA and the PRA in the UK. Santander UK plc customers’ eligible deposits are protected by the FSCS in the UK.

Banco Santander (SAN SM, STD US, BNC.LN) is a leading commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain and one of the largest banks in the world by market capitalization. The group’s activities are consolidated into five global businesses: Retail & Commercial Banking, Digital Consumer Bank, Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB), Wealth Management & Insurance and Payments (PagoNxt and Cards). This operating model allows the bank to better leverage its unique combination of global scale and local leadership. Banco Santander aims to be the best open financial services platform providing services to individuals, SMEs, corporates, financial institutions and governments. The bank’s purpose is to help people and businesses prosper in a simple, personal and fair way. Banco Santander is building a more responsible bank and has made a number of commitments to support this objective, including raising €220 billion in green financing between 2019 and 2030. In the first quarter of 2024, Banco Santander had €1.3 trillion in total funds, 166 million customers, 8,400 branches and 211,000 employees.