Taylor Swift ticket scam leaves Aussie fan $900 out of pocket
The young fan was blocked by the 'scammer' after trying to get her money back.
Taylor Swift's The Eras Tour is coming to Australia soon and fans across the country who missed out on tickets are still desperately seeking ways to get their hands on resells, creating a golden opportunity for scammers.
One swindler has seemingly used this wave of Taylor Swift passion to scam a Melbourne woman out of $900 after advertising tickets in a local Facebook group, taking payment, then asking for more money, before blocking the Melbourne local on social media, who is now left out of pocket and ticketless.
"She acted normal, showed me screenshots of her transferring the tickets," the Melbourne woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, shared with Yahoo Finance Australia. "Then, when I didn't get them, she told me it was an extra $100 per ticket to transfer."
Alarm bells rang when 'scammer' asked for more money
After the person hadn't sent the tickets the first time and asked for an extra $400, the young fan knew something was off.
"I asked for a refund," she explained. "She said she would and I gave her my bank details — then she blocked me".
RELATED
Fake Taylor Swift tickets: Why you shouldn't spend more than $1,373
$100 for Taylor Swift tickets: Aussies turn to desperate measures
On Monday, the Aussie woman made one last-ditch effort to get through to the person who had taken off with her money, asking the Facebook group if anyone else knew them.
Immediately, locals tried to help by reaching out to the alleged scammer themselves but knew it was likely a "cloned" account.
"Unfortunately, her profile is either fake or stolen and you have been scammed," one person quickly responded. "Contact your bank to see if there is anything you can do".
On Tuesday, after no further updates, the Melbourne fan reported the incident to the Police.
Have you got a story about being scammed? Contact laura.koefoed@yahooinc.com
Other Aussies recently told of how they were scammed when being offered Taylor Swift tickets from a friend, or someone linked to a mate.
A 20-year-old woman from Sydney said she lost $1,200 after responding to a Facebook post from a “friend of a friend”. She'd transferred cash for four tickets before “alarm bells” started to ring.
She contacted her friend who said her Facebook had been hacked, and that she’d received six calls from others in the same boat. Her bank told her there was no way to recover the funds.
How can I get a Taylor Swift ticket in Australia safely?
Ticketek is the only approved resale platform for buying and selling tickets for The Eras Tour, and "for the safety of fans" it's strongly recommended to use Ticketek Marketplace.
"We want to remind fans that Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour has been declared a major event in Victoria and that it is illegal to sell or advertise for resale tickets for more than 10% above face value and that there are similar restrictions in place for New South Wales," Frontier Touring told Yahoo Finance.
The marketplace will open for from 10am AEDT on Friday November 24 for those wishing to resell their tickets. However, it's unknown how many will actually do so given it's such a sought after event.
How do I protect myself from scammers?
Aussies lost a record $3.1 billion to scammers last year, an 80 per cent increase on the previous year.
Scamwatch warn to beware of the following scenarios:
It’s an amazing opportunity to make or save money
Someone you haven’t met needs your help - and money
The message contains links or attachments
You feel pressured to act quickly
They ask you to pay in an unusual or specific way
They ask you to set up new accounts or Pay ID
What should I do if I think I’ve been scammed?
Contact your bank and report the scam. Ask them to stop transactions and stop sending any money.
Report the scam to Scamwatch here and make an official complaint to police here.
Watch out for follow up scams, particularly ones promising they can get your money back. Scamwatch warned one in three victims of a scam are scammed more than once.
Lastly, get support for yourself. You can talk to a financial counsellor or reach out to BeyondBlue on 1300 22 4636 or here for an online chat or Lifeline for crisis support online here on 13 11 14.
You can also contact IDCARE to “reduce the harm they experience from the compromise and misuse of their identity information by providing effective response and mitigation”.
Follow Yahoo Finance on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and Twitter, and subscribe to our free daily newsletter.
