Tide Logo

Start Your Business

Business Accounts

Credit

Business Tools

Support


Tide Logo


Stay safe from ticket scams

Looking for tickets to a sold-out gig, unreleased sporting event, or large festival? Scammers may trick you into buying fake tickets. Learn how to protect your money and avoid being locked out of the event.

This guide shows you how to:

🔗 Contact emergency fraud support

🔗 Recognise how ticket scams often work

🔗 Protect yourself from ticket scams

�� Spot the different types of holiday scams

🔗 Protect yourself from holiday scams

Emergency fraud support

Reach our dedicated team 24/7

Call 159

If you're in the UK

Message in-app

Tap the Support icon in the top right corner > Report fraud

How ticket scams often work

How ticket scams often work

Major events are common targets for ticket scams.

  1. The scammer advertises the tickets

    Acting as sellers on social media or an online marketplace

  2. The scammer pushes for a fast sale

    Suggesting demand is high, leaving little time to verify

  3. The scammer asks for payment upfront

    Promising that the tickets will be received later

  4. The victim doesn't receive the ticket

    The scammer disappears with the money

How to protect yourself from ticket scams

1. When browsing tickets online

Buy from trusted sources

Use official sellers, box offices, or reputable ticket exchange sites.

Sellers should be registered with The Society of Ticket Agents and Retailers (STAR).

Watch out for phishing

Scammers may send emails, texts, or social media messages claiming you have won tickets.

Don’t click links or open attachments.

Is the deal too good to be true?

Unusually low prices can mean the tickets don’t exist.

Ask detailed and specific questions

Check when the tickets will arrive, what kind they are, and for more information.

This step alone isn’t a guarantee the offer is legitimate.

2. When verifying the seller

Confirm the website is real

Fraudulent ones may misspell the web address or leave out “https” or the padlock symbol.

They may also have poor grammar, low-quality images, or an unfamiliar design.

Check the terms and conditions

Some sellers don't offer refunds, which can leave you stuck if something goes wrong.

💡 For some events, such as football matches, ticket resale is often illegal.

Find genuine contact details

This could include their real address, phone number, and email.

🚩If the seller only lists a PO box or makes it hard to get in touch, this might be a red flag.

Read customer reviews

Be wary of duplicate comments or a complete lack of feedback on official websites.

3. When buying the tickets

Avoid bank transfers

This offers very little protection, if the seller turns out to be a scammer.

Use buyer protection

Avoid sellers who ask for unsafe payment methods, like cryptocurrency.

Check the details

Double-check to ensure the event name, date, location, and price are all correct.

Proof of payment

Save receipts, confirmation emails, and statements in case you need to raise a chargeback.

Different types of holiday scams

Ticket scams could go hand-in-hand with holiday scams – or when fraudsters create fake listing to scam you of your money. These are some of the most popular ones, lurking around.

Accommodation scams

  1. Scammers advertise a fake property

  2. Victims are asked to pay to secure the booking

  3. The host vanishes and there’s no accommodation

Flight tickets scams

  1. Scammers advertise cheap or last-minute flights

  2. The seller claims they can transfer or rename the ticket

  3. The seller disappears and the tickets turn out not to exist

Refund scams

  1. The victim's travel booking is claimed to be cancelled

  2. The scammer asks for details or a fee to rebook or refund

  3. The scammer steals the victim's money or details

Holiday bookings scams

  1. Scammers pretends to be calling from a travel company

  2. They advertise deals at unusually low prices

  3. The victim pays and loses money

How to protect yourself from holiday scams

Use the same checks you would when buying tickets online, and also keep this in mind:

Book with trusted companies

Use protected travel companies that are ABTA or ATOL members

Stay on the booking platform

If you’re using a trusted booking platform, keep all messages and payments on the platform

Double-check the details

Make sure the accommodation and location actually exist by checking the address online or on map services

Verify the payments

If you receive a message saying your payment didn’t go through, don’t click links or pay again

Unexpected refund offers

Watch out for them and always go directly to the official website or contact the company to check

What to do if you've been (or suspect you've been) targeted

  1. Report it to Tide immediately By calling 159 from the UK, or tapping the 'Support' icon in the top right corner > 'Report fraud' in your Tide app. Both options are available 24/7.

  2. Apply for reimbursement of your lost finances You may be eligible to your money reimbursed. Find more information on this below.

  3. Find victim support groups There are many services set up to help people through the difficulties of being defrauded. We've listed resources you can access below.