Football supporters have been issued a stark warning over a significant rise in ticket fraud, with new data revealing victims are losing an average of £215, as criminals prepare to exploit the upcoming World Cup.
Lloyds Bank’s analysis indicates a staggering 36 per cent surge in football ticket scams during the current Premier League season. The findings, based on thousands of fraud cases between October 2025 and March 2026 compared to the previous year, highlight a growing threat to fans.
Fraudsters are specifically targeting supporters of top-tier clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester United, alongside high-demand fixtures such as the FA Cup and Champions League Finals.
While the average victim loses £215, some have been defrauded of hundreds or even thousands for non-existent “season tickets” or VIP packages.
With the upcoming World Cup, Lloyds anticipates a…
PAYROLL & HR CONTROLS (PREVENTING “GHOST” SCHEMES)
Payroll fraud is often the hardest to detect because it “looks” like a normal business expense.
- Segregation of Duties (SoD): The person who adds new employees to the system must not be the same person who approves the monthly pay run.
- Mandatory Vacation Policy: Require all financial and HR staff to take 5–10 consecutive days of leave annually. Fraud often surfaces when the perpetrator isn’t there to “hide” the trail.
- Ghost Employee Audit: Perform a quarterly “Headcount Reconciliation” where managers must physically verify every name on their payroll list exists.
- Self-Pay Blocking: Ensure the payroll software has a hard-coded block preventing administrators from editing their own salary or bank details.