Barclays warn Gen Z against Arsenal Champions League ticket scams
Barclays have warned Gen Z Arsenal fans to be on alert as ticket fraudsters target the Champions League final.
The high street bank said that football fans with FOMO – fear of missing out – must be cautious when buying tickets for the Gunners’ Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest.
Barclays’ Kirsty Adams said that “big matches create exactly the kind of pressure scammers want to take advantage of,” adding that this happens because “fans are excited, tickets are scarce, and the fear of missing out can make a social media offer feel like one last chance to get in”.
Around a quarter of those who have experienced scams in the last three years, according to the data, have lost money at an average value of £215.
Resale site Livefootballtickets is selling tickets for the Budapest final, starting at £2,480 and reaching £195,000. Seatpick claims to have tickets for between £1,500 and £87,000.
Arsenal tickets like gold dust
“Social media is playing a key role in this behaviour,” Barclays said, “with three in 10 of those aged 18-29 (30 per cent) saying they have attempted to buy tickets through social media posts, comments or direct messages in the past 12 months, compared with 11 per cent of UK adults overall.
“Barclays proprietary scam claim data for 2025 also shows three in five (63 per cent) purchase scams reported by Gen Z originated on social media.”
Arsenal received an official allocation of 16,824 tickets for the match – taking place at the 67,215-capacity Puskas Arena – with top tier tickets on sale for £831 and lower value tickets for £155. Restricted view tickets were also on sale.
Added Adams: “A screenshot, friendly message or urgent ‘take it now’ offer is not proof that a ticket is real.
“If you are looking for a Champions League final or World Cup ticket, stick to official routes wherever possible and be very wary of anyone asking you to pay by bank transfer or move the chat into private messages.”