Anfield ticket scam: 5 sentenced, including 2 ex-Liverpool employees

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Five men were sentenced on Wednesday for their involving in a large-scale scam over tickets to Liverpool games at Anfield, including two former club employees. James Johnson, 34, and Louis James, 37, were working at the club’s ticket office while involved in large-scale ticket fraud.

Today, five men have been sentenced to a total of 12 and a half years in prison for large-scale ticket fraud, following an extensive Merseyside Police investigation. BBC News reports that the group “dishonestly acquired tickets for Liverpool games and sold them at inflated prices using secondary ticket websites, before creating their own called Seatfinder UK.” “One of their tactics,” the report adds “was selling affordable tickets meant for local fans for anything up to £1,000.” Tickets reserved for local fans, located in the upper Main Stand, are currently sold for £9.

James and Johnson were sacked from their jobs in Liverpool’s ticket office but their fraud continued, with estimations that the group made upwards of £1 million. “The club want to control the secondary ticket market – that’s what this case is about.” Merseyside Police have reminded supporters of the risk of buying from unofficial sellers, urging those wishing to attend fixtures at Anfield to purchase tickets from Liverpool’s official website.