Victorian police have issued a warning about a sophisticated social media scam targeting Taylor Swift fans desperate for tickets to the Eras tour. Fans have already lost more than $260,000 to ticket scammers ahead of the Melbourne concerts on 16 and 17 February.
Scammers are hacking social media accounts and using them to sell fake tickets to the victim's friends, police said. The fraudsters typically advertise tickets at cost price, claiming they can no longer attend, and pressure buyers into transferring money quickly. They then send a fake screenshot confirming the transfer before blocking the victim.
Since 30 January, there have been over 40 reports of this social media takeover scam. In total, Victorian police have received at least 250 reports of ticketing scams, with losses exceeding $260,000. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has also received 273 reports nationwide, with losses over $135,000.
Detective Sergeant John Cheyne from the cybercrime squad urged fans to only buy from authorised sellers like Ticketek. “Do your research, and don’t let your pennies make their crown,” he said in a statement filled with Taylor Swift lyrics. Police advise buyers to independently contact friends to verify tickets and to use secure payment methods.
Victims should contact their bank immediately and report the scam to the platform and Scamwatch. The warning comes as ticket scams for high-profile artists soar globally, with UK concert ticket scams rising 529% between March 2022 and February 2023.
