Last season the club issued a record 1,114 lifetime bans, with almost half of those imposed following the discovery of mass manipulation of software, a huge increase from 75 lifetime bans across the 2023-24 season.
The majority of lifetime bans and indefinite suspensions were handed down for unauthorised selling of season tickets, memberships or hospitality tickets, in breach of the club’s terms and conditions – reflecting its zero-tolerance approach to all forms of ticketing touting.
Investigators for the club also shut down 162 social media groups – with a combined membership of more than one million users – that were involved in selling fake tickets that never materialised or reselling real tickets at extortionate rates.
It also took decisive action to shut down 45,000 fake ticketing accounts, and is currently investigating a further 10,000 accounts.
This is a positive significant drop in the almost 100,000 fake accounts that were created and closed in the 2023-24 season, thanks to a number of new preventative measures that have been introduced last season, including Multi-Factor Authentication, Single Sign-On and the implementation of more advanced fraud analysis tools.
More resources were also committed to boots on the ground across the 2024-25 season, leading to almost 500 people being denied entry to Anfield for trying to gain access to the stadium with a burner phone.
Meanwhile, just under 400 targeted stops were also carried out on matchdays, preventing access to the turnstiles for accounts with suspicious activity.
Liverpool FC will continue to take robust action across this season, with increased resource targeting those involved in the proliferation of touting activity. Supporters should be aware that if they are in possession of a ticket that has not been forwarded in line with the club’s terms and conditions, or are present inside Anfield without a valid ticket, they will be ejected by stewards or the police.
The club operates an official sanctions process, where club officials and a member from an independent supporter association hear cases and decide on an appropriate course of action, including lifetime bans and indefinite suspensions.
Supporters are reminded not to buy tickets from unofficial online channels or from unofficial sellers, as more and more sophisticated and organised ways to defraud or extort fans continue to be discovered. Upwards of 90 per cent of tickets listed on these unofficial sites either do not exist or are touted tickets that have been sold multiple times.
As a result, the club would like to reiterate the places where fans should purchase Anfield tickets from in order to guarantee they are genuine.
All general admission tickets should be purchased from Liverpool FC only. For more details, go here. LFC also sells official hospitality direct to supporters here.
The club’s official match break partners – and their sub-agents, which are listed on their websites where applicable – are the only other places to guarantee the purchase of official LFC hospitality tickets.
Here is a list of LFC’s official match break partners and the hospitality area they provide official tickets for.
LFC supplies these agents with genuine hospitality tickets, and these packages are sold as match breaks with travel and/or at least one night’s hotel accommodation.
Fans can report unofficial ticket sales or fraudulent tickets to LFC here – and to Action Fraud here. More information on the LFC official sanctions process is available here.
