…or any high-profile tour or event.
As the highly anticipated Taylor Swift Canadian concert tour approaches, fans are hunting for tickets. But amidst the excitement, staying vigilant and protecting yourself from ticket scams is crucial. Let’s learn from a cautionary tale and gain valuable advice to ensure a scam-free ticket-buying experience.
Picture this: A fan, eager to secure seats, stumbles upon a social media post advertising a Taylor Swift ticket for sale. The post appears on a professional organization’s Facebook page, shared by a group member with some familiar friends. At first glance, everything seems legitimate. The fan starts messaging the seller, who quotes a surprisingly low price of $250 per ticket. This is a red flag—The Eras Tour command much higher prices.
Despite the suspiciously low price, the seller provides detailed seat information, including the section and row. They even claim the tickets are electronic and will be sent upon purchase. However, the seller’s choice of words raises further doubts. Asking, “How do you intend to make payment—you got Zelle, or Venmo by chance?”
Sensing something amiss, the fan suggests conducting the transaction through a reputable ticketing site or a well-known online payment platform. But the seller rejects the idea, citing commissions and delays as reasons to avoid those channels. Insisting on a cash app payment method should ring warning bells since it offers limited or no protection against scammers.
To add to the doubts, the seller remains unresponsive when the fan tries to engage in small talk about their mutual friends. Now the fan takes matters into their own hands and verifies the seller’s identity through an alternative means. They contact the person they believe they were communicating with via LinkedIn and request confirmation of the ticket sale. The response they receive is shocking but eye-opening. The seller revealed that their old Facebook account was hacked, and they have been reporting it to Facebook for over a week without any response.
Here are some additional tips to keep in mind as the concert date approaches:
- Exercise extreme caution when purchasing tickets through social media platforms. Scammers may not stop at Taylor Swift’s concert but could target unsuspecting individuals with fraudulent tickets for other shows and sporting events.
- If you suspect a friend is selling a desired ticket, take the time to contact them directly through a phone call or meet in person to confirm the legitimacy of the transaction. Don’t let the excitement cloud your judgment.
- By remaining alert and following these anti-fraud measures, you can confidently navigate ticket-buying and enjoy a worry-free experience at any concert or event.
Concert ticket scam by phone and online is a growing problem in Canada. Scammers use scare tactics to intimidate their victims by sending them money through distributions like Zell and others. To avoid this scam, it is important to recognize the signs and protect yourself by not providing personal or financial information.
Download our new mobile app, FRAUDSTER, available on Apple and Android, and stay informed by learning about consumer concerns. Visit www.FraudsterApp.com for more information. Already downloaded FraudsterApp? Click the icon on the home screen to access the training feature.
