Liverpool FC Issues Over 1,000 Permanent Bans and Closes 45,000 Fake Accounts in Anti-Touting Measures.

Roger Hampel

Photo Credit: Liverpool FC

Liverpool FC has stepped up its actions against ticket touting, issuing more than 1,000 permanent bans and shutting down 45,000 fake accounts during the 2024/25 season. The measures underline the club’s zero-tolerance approach to ticketing fraud and its continued focus on protecting supporters from scams.

Permanent Bans and Suspensions Liverpool FC

The club confirmed that it imposed 1,114 permanent bans last season, compared with just 75 in 2023/24. Almost half of these sanctions were related to the large-scale manipulation of software to obtain tickets unlawfully. Additional penalties included indefinite suspensions for the unauthorised resale of season tickets, memberships, and hospitality packages.

Social Media and Fake Accounts

Liverpool FC’s investigators also shut down 162 social media groups with a combined membership of over one million users, targeting communities involved in reselling or advertising fraudulent tickets.

The closure of 45,000 fake ticketing accounts represented a marked decline compared with nearly 100,000 accounts in 2023/24, a reduction attributed to the introduction of stronger fraud-prevention measures such as multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, and enhanced fraud detection tools. A further 10,000 accounts remain under investigation.

Matchday Enforcement

On matchdays at Anfield, enhanced security efforts saw almost 500 individuals denied entry for attempting to gain access with burner phones. In addition, close to 400 targeted stops prevented accounts with suspicious activity from reaching the turnstiles.

Ongoing Strategy

Liverpool FC has stated that its anti-touting strategy will continue into the 2025/26 season, with additional resources allocated to detect and sanction those involved in the secondary ticketing market. The club operates an official sanctions process, where cases are reviewed by club officials and an independent supporter association to determine appropriate penalties, including permanent bans.

Supporter Guidance

The club reiterated that supporters should not purchase tickets from unofficial resale platforms, noting that over 90% of tickets listed on such sites are either fraudulent or sold multiple times. Fans attempting to enter Anfield with invalid tickets risk being ejected by stewards or police.