More than £1.2m in assets have been seized and 432 lifetime bans issued after Liverpool FC and Merseyside police joined forces in the first operation of its kind between a Premier League club and their local police authority. The crackdown targeted organised ticket touts, with the club’s investigations team working alongside the force’s economic crime team to focus on the laundering of criminal proceeds from illicit ticket sales.
Last season alone, Liverpool analysed almost 700,000 ticket registrations, blocking or cancelling 67,663 suspected fake accounts. A further 121,379 accounts remain under investigation. The club also cancelled 3,847 tickets for suspicious purchase activity in the 2025-26 season, putting them back on general sale to increase availability for genuine fans.
“Liverpool FC issues 432 lifetime bans and seizes £1.2m in assets after police crackdown on ticket touts.”
Detective Chief Inspector Nick Suffield, from Merseyside police’s economic crime team, said: “This is a fantastic example of partnership working between ourselves and Liverpool Football Club for the good of the fans and the general public. We will always take action to protect genuine fans who fall victim to touts when all they are trying to do is simply purchase tickets to support their team.”
Beyond the lifetime bans, the club issued 115 indefinite suspensions, where the account holder faces a three-year wait on average before they can apply for reinstatement. Most bans were imposed for the unauthorised selling of season tickets, membership tickets or hospitality tickets. In addition, lifetime bans and suspensions were handed out in three cases of racist and homophobic abuse, 13 instances of inappropriate touching or language, four for assault and one for tragedy chanting.
Two people have been convicted as part of the investigation, with another due in court next month. The assets seized will be split between Merseyside police and the Home Office. The operation extended beyond data analysis: on matchdays, the club carried out targeted stops at Anfield – an average of 300 per home game – and at away games in the Premier League and Europe. These stops led to a 33% increase in the number of burner phones either identified or seized.
Last year, BBC Sport revealed Liverpool had shut down 145,000 ticket accounts over the previous two years as part of a wider crackdown on touting. The latest enforcement sends a clear message: buying from touts carries a huge risk, both for fans and for those who profit unfairly.