Man charged over alleged £12.4k Oasis tickets scam

A man has been charged in an investigation into Oasis fans being swindled out of thousands of pounds for fake tickets.

Between March and June last year £12,447 was allegedly taken from several victims for the sale of tickets to see the band's reunion tour, Merseyside Police said.

Stephen Cavanagh, of Croxteth Road in Princes Park, Liverpool, is facing 17 charges of fraud.

The 39-year-old was due to appear at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on 27 May.

A BBC investigation in June last year found some people trying to get Oasis tickets had been targeted by bogus sellers only to be told no action could be taken.

Lisa Barker, from Oldham, contacted Action Fraud, which is run by the City of London Police, after losing £1,508 for eight tickets.

She was initially told there were "no viable lines of enquiry," but the case was referred to Merseyside Police after the agency was contacted by the BBC.

At the time Action Fraud said such offending was on the rise and 38% of all ticket fraud claims relate to concerts.

It received 600 fraud complaints relating to Taylor Swift's UK gigs last year, while a Lloyds Bank study suggested 1,000 Oasis fans had lost more than £2m to fraudsters.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.