Latest news with #LordHanson
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
'Ruthless' fraudsters scam football fans out of £2.5m
Football fans are being urged to beware "ruthless" fraudsters when buying match tickets online after a study showed an estimated £2.5m had been lost to scammers in the past two years. Lloyds Bank estimate at least 12,000 supporters have fallen victim to ticket fraud across the past two campaigns, with their own customers losing around £500, extrapolated nationwide, it's estimated that more than £2.5m has been lost to ticket scammers. The 'Stop! Think Fraud' campaign, external has been established to raise awareness of online purchase scams, which tend to offer match tickets for sold-out matches and often at discounted prices. "Fraud is a ruthless crime that preys on our passions, our trust, and our excitement," said Lord Hanson, the Minister for Fraud. "More than three quarters of football ticket scams last season started on social media, with what seem like genuine 'first come, first served' offers all too often designed to rip off desperate fans."Hanson says supporters should "only buy directly from clubs, their official partners and legitimate resale outlets". Liverpool supporters were the most likely to be targeted, followed by fans of Arsenal, Manchester United and aged 25-34 were the most frequent victims of ticket scams, making up 28% of cases, followed by those aged 18-24 (26%). New Premier League rules for the 2026-27 season requires clubs to offer 70% of their tickets digitally, as it offers a greater defence to ticket touting.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Premier League ticket warning as thousands of fans conned out of £2.5million
Startling figures released by Lloyds and the Home Office reveal that fraud victims coughed up an average of £218 for tickets that did not exist last season Football fans have been conned out of more than £2.5million for fake tickets in the past two seasons, with scammers using social media to trick supporters. Alarming figures show victims coughed up an average of £218 for tickets that did not exist last year, with Liverpool supporters most likely to be targeted. It is estimated that 12,000 people have been defrauded since the start of the 2023/24 season. Con artists flooded social media with fake tickets to see Premier League giants Arsenal, Man Utd, Chelsea and Manchester City, as well as newly promoted Championside side Wrexham, new data shows. Home Office minister Lord Hanson told The Mirror the figures were "shocking". More than 2,400 cases of football ticket fraud were reported by Lloyds banking customers in two years, with total losses topping £500,000. The bank estimates that nationally there will have been 12,000 cases, with unsuspecting fans coughing up £2.5million. Three quarters of the scams start on social media, the Home Office said. Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds, said while fans are looking forward to the new Premier League season, scammers are "banking on that excitement". She said: "With demand for tickets often outstripping supply, fraudsters know they can trick fans into paying for tickets that simply don't exist." And warning sport lovers to steer clear of deals that "look too good to be true" she said: 'Social media is the main breeding ground for ticket scams and it's time these firms cracked down on the fraudsters lurking on their platforms." Analysis found supporters aged from 25 to 34 are the most common victims, making up 28% of all cases. They were closely followed by 18 to 24 year olds. Lloyds is working with the Home Office on its Stop! Think Fraud project, aimed at stopping people falling victim to scammers. The Premier League urges supporters to buy tickets directly from clubs. Several clubs employ staff dedicated to tackling ticket fraud, who will often buy tickets from unauthorised sellers to identify the source of resold tickets. From season 2026/27 the Premier League will require a minimum of 70% of tickets to be digital. It says this will give additional security. Lord Hanson said: 'Fraud is a ruthless crime that preys on our passions, our trust, and our excitement. As the nation gears up for the new football season, so too do fraudsters, waiting to take advantage of loyal fans searching for tickets."
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
LORD HANSON: Football ticket fraud data is shocking as Premier League excitement grows
Writing for the Daily Mirror, Fraud Minister Lord Hanson warns that fraudsters are hoping for a bonanza when the Premier League and WSL season starts up again after pocketing millions in the last two years As a diehard Liverpool fan, the new football season means the chance to see if Arne Slot's side can win back-to-back titles for the first time in more than forty years, and go ahead of Manchester United again in the all-time list. Every other supporter will go into the new season with their own hopes and dreams, and for fans of the Women's Super League, it will also be a chance to welcome the Lionesses back from their own back-to-back triumph in the Euros. I have no doubt that football fans across the country will be scrambling to get hold of tickets for the big kick-off, as we all hope to witness scenes as electric as those we've seen in the past year. But amid all that excitement, I'm urging football fans across the country to stay alert to the risk of fraud. Because, sadly, wherever there is high demand, and desperation not to miss out, fraudsters are never far behind. And the data is shocking. According to figures published today by Lloyds Bank and the Home Office, over the past two years, an estimated £2.5 million has been stolen from hard-working football fans, with more than 12,000 people being scammed whilst trying get hold of tickets. And this is about more than numbers. Because whilst the financial losses are big, the emotional and psychological toll can be even bigger – when fans are plunged from the high of thinking they're going to a big match to the utter misery of realising they've been conned. And the scammers are targeting football fans throughout the country. Supporters of my own club Liverpool are at the highest risk of being targeted by scammers, with Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City, following them in the list of fans most frequently targeted. Scams are also taking place in Scotland and Wales, with the data showing Celtic and Rangers fans getting defrauded, and Wrexham supporters being targeted too as the price for their meteoric rise back to the second tier. Sadly, this is an issue that cuts across age divides, with young people aged 25 to 34 at highest risk of being ripped off. And with more than three-quarters of these football ticket scams taking place on social media platforms, I continue to urge tech companies to go further and faster to protect the public from fraud. The new Online Safety Act will help by requiring those firms to remove fraudulent content from their platforms, but we shouldn't need a stick like that to get everyone on the same side against the scam artists. That's why I'm working with industry, law enforcement, the banks and consumer groups, to ensure we're all working together to tackle this problem and protect ordinary people from being ripped off. It's also why our new, expanded Fraud Strategy later this year will put public awareness at its heart, to ensure that money stays in working people's pockets as part of this Government's Plan for Change. So ahead of the new season, I'm urging anyone looking for last-minute or resale football tickets to remember three simple words: Stop. Think. Fraud. Buy tickets only from official club websites, ticket offices, or authorised partners. Do not trust offers advertised on social media, however convincing they may seem. Always use a secure, recommended payment method, and never transfer funds directly to strangers. To echo the late, great Bill Shankly, football is more than just a sport in the UK – it is our national game. But in the excitement not to miss out, we must all be on our guard for scams. Together, let's kick fraud out of football.
The Independent
03-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Ban on Palestine Action clears Parliament but faces legal challenge
A ban on Palestine Action as a terror group is poised to become law after peers backed the Government move at Westminster but faces a legal bid to block it. The House of Lords backed proscribing the group under the Terrorism Act 2000 without a vote. A short time before, a so-called regret motion proposed by a Green Party peer criticising the measure was rejected by 144 votes to 16, majority 128. The ministerial order, which has already been approved by MPs, will make it a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison to be a member of the direct action group or to support it. However, it is unclear when the ban, which needs final sign-off by the Home Secretary, will come into force as the group is mounting a court challenge to try to temporarily block the move with a hearing scheduled on Friday, pending further proceedings. The Government crackdown comes after two planes were vandalised at RAF Brize Norton on June 20 causing £7 million worth of damage, in an action claimed by Palestine Action. Four people have been charged by counter-terrorism police in connection with the incident and were remanded in custody following a court appearance. Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint said: 'I will always defend the right of British people to engage in legitimate and peaceful protest and to stand up for the causes in which they believe. 'But essential as these rights are, they do not provide a blank cheque for this particular group to seriously damage property or subject members of the public to fear and violence.' He added: 'We would not tolerate this activity from organisations if they were motivated by Islamist or extreme right-wing ideology, and therefore I cannot tolerate it from Palestine Action. 'By implementing this measure, we will remove Palestine Action's veil of legitimacy, tackle its financial support, degrade its efforts to recruit and radicalise people into committing terrorist activity in its name.' But ministers have faced criticism over the decision to outlaw Palestine Action, with opponents branding the move as 'draconian overreach' and comparing the group to the Suffragettes. The United Nations has also warned against the ban, with experts concerned at the 'unjustified labelling of a political protest movement as 'terrorist''. In the Lords, Green Party peer Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb opposed the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Her regret motion argued the ban undermined civil liberties, constituted a misuse of anti-terror legislation, suppressed dissent against the UK's policy on Israel, and criminalised support for a protest group, causing 'a chilling effect on freedom of expression'. The legislation approved by the Lords also bans two white supremacist groups, Maniacs Murder Cult and Russian Imperial Movement, including its paramilitary arm Russian Imperial Legion. The Home Office describes the Maniacs Murder Cult as a neo-Nazi transnational and online organisation which has claimed a number of violent attacks around the world. The Russian Imperial Movement is an ethno-nationalist group which aims to create a new Russian imperial state. Its paramilitary unit fought alongside Russian forces in the invasion of Ukraine to advance its ideological cause. It also runs a paramilitary training programme to support attendees to carry out terror attacks, the Home Office added.
Glasgow Times
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
Ban on Palestine Action clears Parliament but faces legal challenge
The House of Lords backed proscribing the group under the Terrorism Act 2000 without a vote. A short time before, a so-called regret motion proposed by a Green Party peer criticising the measure was rejected by 144 votes to 16, majority 128. The ministerial order, which has already been approved by MPs, will make it a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison to be a member of the direct action group or to support it. However, it is unclear when the ban, which needs final sign-off by the Home Secretary, will come into force as the group is mounting a court challenge to try to temporarily block the move with a hearing scheduled on Friday, pending further proceedings. The Government crackdown comes after two planes were vandalised at RAF Brize Norton on June 20 causing £7 million worth of damage, in an action claimed by Palestine Action. Four people have been charged by counter-terrorism police in connection with the incident and were remanded in custody following a court appearance. Home Office minister Lord Hanson of Flint said: 'I will always defend the right of British people to engage in legitimate and peaceful protest and to stand up for the causes in which they believe. 'But essential as these rights are, they do not provide a blank cheque for this particular group to seriously damage property or subject members of the public to fear and violence.' He added: 'We would not tolerate this activity from organisations if they were motivated by Islamist or extreme right-wing ideology, and therefore I cannot tolerate it from Palestine Action. 'By implementing this measure, we will remove Palestine Action's veil of legitimacy, tackle its financial support, degrade its efforts to recruit and radicalise people into committing terrorist activity in its name.' Supporters outside Westminster Magistrates' Court, London, where four people were charged with conspiracy to enter a prohibited place knowingly for a purpose prejudicial to the safety or interests of the United Kingdom, and conspiracy to commit criminal damage following an incident at RAF Brize Norton in which two Voyager aircraft were damaged (Jeff Moore/PA) But ministers have faced criticism over the decision to outlaw Palestine Action, with opponents branding the move as 'draconian overreach' and comparing the group to the Suffragettes. The United Nations has also warned against the ban, with experts concerned at the 'unjustified labelling of a political protest movement as 'terrorist''. In the Lords, Green Party peer Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb opposed the proscription of Palestine Action as a terrorist organisation. Her regret motion argued the ban undermined civil liberties, constituted a misuse of anti-terror legislation, suppressed dissent against the UK's policy on Israel, and criminalised support for a protest group, causing 'a chilling effect on freedom of expression'. The legislation approved by the Lords also bans two white supremacist groups, Maniacs Murder Cult and Russian Imperial Movement, including its paramilitary arm Russian Imperial Legion. The Home Office describes the Maniacs Murder Cult as a neo-Nazi transnational and online organisation which has claimed a number of violent attacks around the world. The Russian Imperial Movement is an ethno-nationalist group which aims to create a new Russian imperial state. Its paramilitary unit fought alongside Russian forces in the invasion of Ukraine to advance its ideological cause. It also runs a paramilitary training programme to support attendees to carry out terror attacks, the Home Office added.
