Nationwide warns of ticket scams ahead of Glastonbury resale
One in four Brits admit to having made the expensive mistake
With resale tickets for this year’s Glastonbury rumoured to be just weeks away, people are being urged to only trust official sites.
According to Nationwide, a minuscule 0.08% of people will successfully secure a ticket during the resale.
Young people are especially vulnerable to fraud as fear of missing out – or FOMO – leads them to risky decisions.
Jim Winters, director of economic crime at Nationwide, said: “Fraud and scams are now the most common type of crime in the United Kingdom, about 40%, so it's a huge problem.
“Obviously, most people are used to buying things online now as well, which kind of plays into the hands of the scammers, but the higher the profile of the event, the higher the risk of getting scammed”.
It is expected that 2.5 million Glastonbury fans will try their luck once the resale goes live, but only 210,000 tickets will be available.
A new report from Swindon-based financial institution Nationwide has found that more than half of Brits (52%) would consider buying tickets from potentially untrustworthy sources for events ranging from music festivals like Glastonbury to sports fixtures and movie premieres.
One in four people (25%) also admitted that they had already been scammed and lost an average of £82.
Mr. Winter shared some advice for how to avoid fraudsters with Greatest Hits Radio.
Most importantly, he explained that “if it’s too good to be true, it always is”.
“Always use official ticket sellers or authorised resellers, check that they're accredited, be careful on social media”, he added.
“Really think twice about buying a ticket, whether that's resold or first time around. From a stranger, that's really high risk.
“Always use a secure payment method, use your credit card or a trusted platform like PayPal that comes with a fraud guarantee”.
With less than 80 days to go until Glastonbury 2025 kicks off, more people are giving in to the pressure.
Those aged between 25 and 34 are particularly affected, with almost one in five (18%) admitting they are more likely to take risks the closer the day of the event gets.
“These are incredibly high-profile events. The supply is really limited. The demand is really high", said Mr. Winter.
“Four in ten of that age group actually said they would knowingly risk buying fake tickets which really does underline the desperation to be part of that must-see kind of gig or football match”.