Football season is starting again, Taylor Swift kicks off a highly-anticipated five-night run at Wembley… Whether you’re a music fan or sports are more your thing, there’s always plenty of exciting events to attend over summer. Between the festivals, outdoor cinemas and everything in between, summer is ripe for snapping up tickets.

While most of the time buying tickets for events is a simple process, it seems, unfortunately, that ticket scams are on the rise. Research by Nationwide Building Society found that more than one in three people aged 16-34 have bought an event ticket that turned out to be fake, or know someone who has been targeted. Analysis by Lloyds Bank found that thousands of people have fallen victim to Taylor Swift ticket scams in particular, losing an average of £332 each. “For her legion of dedicated Swifties, the excitement is building ahead of Taylor’s Eras Tour,” explained Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds Bank, ahead of Swift’s first-round of shows at Wembley in June. “However, cruel fraudsters have wasted no time in targeting her most loyal fans as they rush to pick up tickets for her must-see concerts.”

And, it’s not just Taylor Swift gigs being targeted. Lloyds also found reports of football ticket scams increased by around a third last season, with victims losing £177 on average.

So, whether it’s a festival, sporting event or concert, just how can you stay safe from ticket scams this summer? Here’s what the experts say…

4 ways to avoid ticket scams, according to experts