The ACCC has warned those Swifties who missed out on coveted Eras Tours tickets to be vigilant and not fall for reseller scams as the tour hits shores in less than a month.
According to the consumer watchdog, there has been a recent spike in reports of scammers compromising social media accounts like Facebook and Instagram to sell fake tickets to the hacked account’s friends list. While It’s Nice To Have A Friend, these “friends” are trying to be the Anti-Hero.
Scamwatch has already received 273 reports of people being scammed buying Taylor Swift The Eras Tour tickets via social media since tickets went on sale in Australia in June 2023.
There has been more than $135,000 lost to this scam with the consumer watchdog warning that this number could continue to rise.
Reports are most prevalent in New South Wales (114 reports, $54,645 lost) and Victoria (96 reports, $53,607 lost), where Miss Swift is performing.
ACCC deputy chair Catriona Lowe said the Eras Tour is the “hottest ticket in town” and scammers are seizing the opportunity to dupe Aussie Swifties who are looking to buy these tickets.
“This scam is a low act, seeking to take advantage of fans, many of whom are young and are desperately trying to secure a ticket to make their dream of seeing Taylor Swift live come true,” she said.
Lowe said the ACCC is working with both law enforcement and social media platforms to keep the scam activity at bay but she warns that this scam activity isn’t going to Stay Stay Stay stagnant.
“We are urging fans to be alert to scammers and think twice before seeking to buy a ticket on social media, even if it’s from a friend or community page you trust,” she said.
“Be mindful that scammers have been hacking genuine accounts to appear legitimate and are tricking trusting friends or connections into buying Taylor Swift tickets that don’t exist.”
Lowe urges fans to buy from authorised resellers like the Ticketek platform.
Those who have been scammed by those Who Did Something Bad can contact Scamwatch.
This isn’t the first drama to be associated with the Eras Tour as both Ticketek in Australia and Ticketmaster in the US have come under fire for creating pre-sale chaos. Fans were so up in arms that they created a class action against Ticketmaster and Live Nation but that subsequently has been dropped.
Long Story Short, falling for a scam is Death By A Thousand Cuts.
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