Taylor Swift fans being targeted by ticket scammers disguised as social media ‘friends’, Victoria police warn

Victorian fans have already lost more than $260,000 to ticket scammers in relation to the 2024 Eras tour of Australia before the Melbourne concert

Victorian police have warned that a lucrative social media scam is targeting Taylor Swift fans online who are yet to secure highly sought after tickets.

Victorian “Swifties” have already lost more than $260,000 to ticket scammers in relation to the Eras tour, which arrives in Australia this month.

Scammers were hacking accounts and targeting the hacked profile’s friend list, police said, deceiving desperate fans into a hurried purchase which appeared to be from someone they trust.

There have been more than 40 reports of the social media takeover scam since 30 January this year alone.

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The Eras tour broke records last June when more than 4 million people tried to secure at least one of the 450,000 tickets on offer across five shows, taking place in Melbourne on 16 and 17 February, and Sydney on 23-25 February 2024.

Since then, Victorian police have received at least 250 reports of ticketing scams, amounting to a loss of more than $260,000.

“Capitalising on demand for tickets, scammers are targeting fans with fake ticket sales through social media, often hacking accounts of individuals and then using the profiles to sell fake tickets to the victim’s friends,” police warned in a statement on Wednesday.

Scammers will typically advertise the ticket “at cost price” and state a reason they can no longer attend, rushing people into transferring the money and adding an extra fee to change the name on the ticket.

They will send a fake screenshot, seemingly confirming the ticket transfer, before blocking the scam victim once the money has been received.

The consumer advocacy group Choice also warned of the social media takeover scam last month. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) deputy chair, Catrina Lowe, has said she was working with law enforcement to combat the scam, expressing concern it would only grow worse as the tour approached.

As of 24 January, the ACCC’s Scamwatch had received 273 reports Australia-wide of Swifties being scammed for tickets on social media, with people losing more than $135,000.

The scam was most prevalent in New South Wales, with 114 reports and $54,000 lost, and in Victoria, with 96 reports and more than $53,000 lost – the two states where Swift is performing.

Detective sergeant John Cheyne from the cybercrime squad reminded people to only buy from authorised sellers, such as Ticketek.

“I’ve spent my whole life trying to put it into words – do your research, and don’t let your pennies make their crown,” police said, in a Taylor Swift lyric-filled statement.

“So make the friendship bracelets because karma will be the breeze in your hair next weekend.”

Police urge those buying secondhand tickets on social media to do their research and independently contact their friend to verify the tickets are genuine.

“Always look for secure payment options and never give your credit card details to the seller.”

People who have fallen victim to the scam should contact their bank “as soon as possible”, and also alert the platform they were scammed on.

Last November, National Bank Australia issued a warning for Swifities to be on the lookout for scams in the lead up to the tour. Commonwealth Bank asked its customers to alert them immediately if they had been scammed.

Ticket scamming for high-profile artists is becoming an issue worldwide. In the UK, concert ticket scams soared by 529% between March 2022 and February 2023, with victims losing an average £110 on tickets to leading acts such as Harry Styles, Coldplay and Lewis Capaldi.

Experts said scammers target events where demand for tickets is likely to exceed supply

Scams can be reported via Scamwatch, or by filing an online report to police.