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Thousands of Oasis fans are Looking Back in Anger after being duped out of more than £2 million by scammers, as demand for tickets to the band's long-awaited 2025 reunion tour continues to spiral.
Following the bombshell announcement in August last year that warring brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher had finally buried the hatchet after 15 years of public feuding, fans were ecstatic over the news of the Oasis Live ’25 tour. But what should have been a dream come true for Britpop lovers has turned into a nightmare for many.
Lloyds Banking Group has revealed the staggering scale of ticket scams targeting Oasis fans, with more than half (56%) of all reported concert ticket fraud this year involving desperate attempts to score passes to the historic UK tour, which kicks off on July 4. Based on reports from their customers alone, over 1,000 cases have been logged, with the average victim losing £436. One unfortunate fan was conned out of a whopping £1,700.
Extrapolating the data, Lloyds estimates that at least 5,000 people across the UK have fallen victim to fraudulent ticket sales since last summer, pushing the total value of losses past the £2 million mark.
The scam surge has been linked to unofficial Facebook groups and social media listings, where fraudsters pose as sellers offering fake tickets, often at inflated prices or under the pretence of exclusive deals. Victims are tricked into transferring money directly into the scammers’ bank accounts, only for the sellers to disappear without delivering the promised tickets.
Millennials appear to be the prime targets, with those aged 35 to 44 making up 30% of reported cases. Geographically, the scams are most concentrated in Oasis hotspots, with Manchester, Edinburgh, and Warrington topping the list of affected cities.
The timing of the scams is also telling. Lloyds warns that another wave of fraud is likely as the tour date draws closer, with many scams occurring after the initial ticket drop and in the final weeks leading up to live events.
Liz Ziegler, Lloyds’ fraud prevention director, urged caution: “The Oasis tour is the latest target for ticket scammers, with millions of pounds of fans’ money stolen before the gigs even kick off. If you’re asked to pay via bank transfer, particularly by a seller you’ve found on social media, that should immediately set alarm bells ringing.”
Credit: Freepix
Lisa Webb, consumer law expert at Which?, echoed the warning, saying: “Oasis tickets being in such high demand has created a perfect storm for criminals. If you spot any suspicious posts, report them to the platform and the National Cyber Security Centre.”
With anticipation for the Oasis Live ’25 tour still at fever pitch, fans are being urged to stay vigilant, stick to official sellers, and avoid the temptation of unofficial resales, no matter how Supersonic the deal might seem.
