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Growing numbers of fans have been targeted by Taylor Swift ticketing scams, leading Lloyds Bank to issue an urgent warning to customers.
In a matter of weeks, Taylor Swift will play the final dates of her UK tour at Wembley stadium. Tickets were snapped up within minutes of release, with some reports suggesting that the shows sold out within 14 minutes. As a result, countless Swifties were left disappointed – and desperate to find tickets another way.
According to the Lloyds analysis, more than 600 customers have reported being scammed since Taylor Swift tickets went on sale in July 2023, with an average of £332 lost by each person – although some fans lost as much as £1,000. The bank estimates that British fans have lost up to £1 million in ticket scams, with 90% of these originating on Facebook.
When it comes to financial scams, I like to think that I’m fairly clued up – but I was very nearly caught by the latest Facebook scam, which could have left me £400 out of pocket. If you’re hoping to snap up some last-minute tickets, here’s how to avoid making a very expensive mistake.
How I almost got caught by a Facebook Taylor Swift tickets scam
I’d told everyone I know that I was looking for Taylor Swift tickets, so when my colleague Sarah messaged me to say that a friend of hers had tickets for sale I asked her to put me in touch. She reassured me that her friend was a genuine guy and had proof of purchase – and he was selling his tickets for close to face value.
“I noticed someone I’ve previously attended music gigs with had a story on their profile advertising that he had four tickets to one of Taylor’s Wembley dates,” recounts Sarah.
“Others had shared the post and after messaging who I thought was a trustworthy dad-of-two, I gave him Ceri’s number, worrying that he may sell to someone else if I didn’t act quickly.”
When Sarah’s ‘friend’ messaged me asking for the names I’d like the tickets to be transferred to and requesting a Monzo payment link, I knew that I’d have to make a quick decision. However, some details didn’t quite add up and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something didn’t feel right.
Thankfully, I had seen an Instagram post about how to spot scams from @tashmontlake, who has been helping Swifties buy and sell Eras Tour tickets. She recommends choosing to pay via PayPal and selecting a Goods and Services payment, because it provides PayPal Purchase Protection. When I asked if I could make payment this way he said he didn’t have PayPal, which set alarm bells ringing.
However, after he said I could transfer money for one ticket at a time I felt reassured – and it almost worked.
I got as far as creating a payment link, but after reading Monzo’s in-app warnings about scams, I decided not to share it. A few minutes later, Sarah messaged to say that it turned out her friend’s Facebook account had been hacked and it was a scam.
What to do if you’re caught by a Taylor Swift tickets scam
I narrowly avoided getting scammed. But what should you do if you hand over your hard-earned cash but don’t get the tickets?
The first step is to contact your bank or card provider to see if there’s any way to block the transaction. However, as many scammers now request payment links it can be trickier to recoup the money you’ve lost.
Rich Bromley, Director of Fraud at Monzo told NerdWallet in an email: “Ticket scams are a huge industry problem with opportunistic fraudsters preying on loyal fans rushing to buy tickets for must-see concerts and events. We urge people to be extra vigilant when purchasing online and on social media – always buy through a reputable provider and pay by debit or credit card as these methods offer more protection than sending money via bank transfer. If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is, so trust your instincts and end the conversation.”
If you’ve been caught by a Facebook scam similar to the one outlined above, report the scam to Meta, and ask your friends to do the same. This reduces the risk of other people being scammed.
A Meta spokesperson told NerdWallet in an email: “Fraudulent activity is not allowed on our platforms, and we are continually investing in new technologies to tackle this industry-wide issue.
“We take the safety and security of our community seriously and encourage everyone to create a strong password, enable two-factor authentication and to be suspicious of emails or messages asking for personal details. We also have a feature called Security Checkup to help people keep their Instagram and Facebook accounts secure.”
How to spot a Taylor Swift ticket scam
Scammers rely on people making fast decisions, so if you’re offered the chance to buy tickets take a minute to consider the following. It could reduce your risk of falling for a very Cruel Summer scam:
- Does it seem too good to be true? If there are multiple tickets for sale at low prices, there’s a good chance it’s a scam.
- Do you really know the person who is selling the tickets? If you’re responding to a friend’s Facebook post, contact them via phone or WhatsApp to check that it really is them and they haven’t been hacked.
- @tashmontlake encourages fans to ask to see a proof of purchase and check that the name on the ticket matches the name of the seller (although be aware that these can easily be edited). Ask for screenshots of the tickets to check that the names match up. Check the time that the screenshot was taken, and make sure it was taken within the last few minutes.
- Ask why they are selling the tickets. Do their reasons sound genuine?
- Pay attention to the tone of the messages. Does the seller seem legit? Are they rushing you? Take a look at their profile – based on their pictures, do they look like they could be a Taylor Swift fan? If something feels off, walk away.
- If you’re buying via Facebook, @tashmontlake recommends requesting a Facetime call while you make the transaction. This means you can be sure that the person who is selling matches their online profile.
- Be wary if a seller asks for a payment link or bank transfer as this is just like handing over cash and makes it virtually impossible to get your money back if something goes wrong. Instead, ask to pay with PayPal goods and services or with a credit or debit card as this offers some purchase protection. If they say no to this, it’s likely to be a scam.
The only way to be absolutely certain you’re buying genuine tickets is to purchase them via official resale with Ticketmaster and AXS. Although a lucky few fans have been able to get tickets this way, high demand means they’re near impossible to find.
Some resale platforms, such as viagogo and StubHub allow fans to buy (eye-wateringly expensive) unwanted tickets from other fans and offer customers a money-back guarantee. However, both Ticketmaster and AXS have said that tickets are not to be resold and buying them from unofficial sites risks being turned away at the turnstiles.
A spokesperson for Ticketmaster told NerdWallet in an email: “Through the official resale facilities, ticket resale prices are capped to help combat the inflation of ticket prices and put a stop to ticket touting and bots. Purchasing tickets via the official resale facilities also ensures that the ticket you are purchasing is genuine.
“As set out in the terms and conditions of sale, any tickets found to be purchased via resale on the non-official secondary market will not be valid for entry into the concerts and will be cancelled.”
Image source: Getty Images
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