Ticket fraud reports surge by 485% in Northern Ireland

A Freedom of Information request sent by The Cut & Craft to Action Fraud revealed that ticket fraud reports have surged from 2021 to 2023 rising by a staggering 485%.

In 2021 there were 52 reports across Northern Ireland, this rose to 304 in 2023. In 2024 so far (Jan-May) there have been 158 reports.

Looking at the demographic details of the reports made from 2021 to May 2024 in Northern Ireland 403 came from females, 232 came from males and 63 were classed as unknown. Altogether a staggering 57.74% were females.

Moving on to victim age group statistics, the most common age group that were victims in Northern Ireland were aged 20-29.

Statistics also sadly showed that 3 victims in Northern Ireland were children aged under 10.

Moving onto the monetary details. The overall average loss in Northern Ireland was £294.

When compared with the rest of the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland had the lowest average loss in total.

The highest total loss that PSNI saw was £8,412 in 2023.

Speaking on the findings, Georgina Pellant from The Cut & Craft said, “the findings are really shocking, especially the fact that it’s such a big rise.

“It’s really easy to fall victim, all it takes is a small drop in focus, maybe a busy day, or you’re feeling tired, and you can lose a lot of money, no matter how fraud savvy you are.

“The fact that children under the age of 10 are also falling victim means we don’t just have to be mindful of our own activities, but also our family and even kids.

“I urge people to be careful, always think twice, use trusted sources, never rush, and remember, if something sounds too good to be true, it most often is.”