Football fans are being warned by a major bank to watch out for ticket scams, after it recorded a jump in reported incidents last season.

Lloyds Bank said that, based on analysis of reported fraud cases among its own personal banking customers, the number of people being scammed when buying football tickets more than doubled (a 101% increase) last season compared with the season before, with victims losing £154 on average.

It looked at reports made by Lloyds Banking Group customers between August 2022 and May 2023, compared with the same period a year earlier.

Many scams originate on social media and people aged 18 to 24 are particularly likely to fall victim, Lloyds’ data indicates.

When tickets for big events are scarce or in high demand, fraudsters know they can cash in on desperate fans willing to pay much more.

They create fake posts on social media or online marketplaces to advertise tickets that do not exist. Often they will include pictures of real tickets to convince the buyer that they are genuine.

The victim is often tricked into sending money via bank transfer.

Fans of some of the biggest clubs in England, where demand for tickets is particularly strong, are particularly likely to be targeted, Lloyds warned.

Supporters of Liverpool and Manchester United fell victim most often last season, along with Arsenal and Chelsea fans, the bank’s data indicated.

Once the money has been transferred, the fraudster simply disappears, and the victim receives nothing.

Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director, Lloyds Bank, said people should look to buy directly from football clubs or their official ticket partners.