Taylor Swift fans targetted by 'takeover' scammers ahead of Australian Eras tour

Australian Taylor Swift fans are being warned of 'takeover' scammers selling fake tickets to the Grammy winner's Australian Eras tour concerts online.

A woman singing

Scammers often ask the unsuspecting buyer to pay extra fees to change the name on the ticket. Source: AP / Natacha Pisarenko

More than $260,000 has been lost to scammers selling fake tickets to Taylor Swift's Australian leg of her Eras tour, Victoria Police said.

The force has received more than 250 reports of scams for the tour. Swift will play concerts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Sydney's Stadium Australia this month.

, started her world tour in March last year and is due to finish this December after 151 shows.
Victoria Police said scammers are hacking social media profiles and using them to sell fake Eras tour tickets to the victim's friend, along with a story pretending to explain why they can no longer attend.

As well as the ticket price, the scammers often ask the unsuspecting buyer to pay extra fees to change the name on the ticket.

They also send what they purport to be a screenshot of an email confirmation of having bought the tickets, making the scam look more legitimate.

Once the cash transfer has taken place, the scam target is then blocked by the profile used to create the transaction.
More than 40 reports of the social media takeover scam have been reported since 30 January.

Police said the "safest way" to buy tickets for the Eras Tour was from an authorised ticket seller, such as Ticketek.

If fans do buy Eras tour tickets advertised on social media, they should do their research and independently contact the friend whose profile is offering them for sale.

Buyers should also look for secure payment options and never give out credit card details.

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2 min read
Published 7 February 2024 11:06am
Updated 7 February 2024 11:10am
Source: SBS News


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