Young people being targeted by banking scammers – with ticket fraud ranking high

If you are planning a summer of gigs and festivals – make sure your fun in the sun doesn’t hit a bum note.

Ticket fraud is on the rise, and so far this year, it has accounted for over a quarter of all scams suffered by 18 to 34-year-olds.

The figures have been released by major bank Santandar UK, which has recorded a 6% increase (up at 27%) in this age group falling victim to scams. This was driven by criminals making fake offers of concert tickets.

Ticket fraud was also high among the 34 to 50-year-old age group, coming in a close second at 23%.

Other prevalent scams include impersonation, advance fee, and romance scams, which collectively resulted in nearly £3.5 million in losses during the first quarter. The increase comes despite the bank’s research indicating that more than half of consumers say they are aware of romance and friendship scams (63%) and impersonation scams (49%).

However, at the other end of the age scale, the bank reported a jump in older adults aged 80+ being scammed, primarily through impersonation of banking representatives.

Banks typically do not initiate unsolicited calls or request personal information, so it is crucial for individuals to remain cautious and verify any suspicious communications.

Santander's ‘Scamtracker’ revealed that a total of £18.4 million was stolen from customers in the first quarter of 2025, highlighting the urgent need for awareness, especially regarding advance fee scams, which only 17% of people recognise.

Here are some age breakdowns from Santander UK’s Scamtracker for the first quarter of 2025 according to age:

• 18 to 34 years accounted for 27% of claims with ticket purchases the most common scam.
• 35 to 50 years old accounted for 23% of claims, again with ticket scams the most common.
• For the 51 to 65-year-olds, the most common scams at 23% was the purchase of vehicles.
• The most common scam in the 66 to 80 age bracket (18%) was impersonation fraud (criminals pretending to be organisations other than banks or the police, for example HMRC)
• When it came to the 80+ age group, this accounted for 4% cent of claims with the most common scam impersonation (criminals pretending to be from banks or the police).

If you think you may have compromised the safety of your bank details and/or have lost money, you should immediately contact your bank.

If you think you have been a victim of fraud or would like more details on how to report fraud – visit https://www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040.