Expert warns of ticket scams with Taylor Swift around the corner

“The more we want something or the higher the FOMO, the more likely we are to fall for a scam. Scammers use our human nature against us, and their scam playbooks are overflowing with tried and true formulas.”

The Taylor Swift Eras Tour shows in Australia are just around the corner, and experts are warning of an increase of ticketing scams.

Although thousands of Australians got tickets to the show, there were still hundreds of thousands of people left disappointed they didn’t get tickets, and could be the perfect targets for a scam.

Jacqueline Jayne, a Cybersecurity expert from KnowBe4, says many scammers are opportunistic and take advantage of people suffering from ‘FOMO’ (fear of missing out).

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“The more we want something or the higher the FOMO, the more likely we are to fall for a scam,” she said.

“Scammers use our human nature against us, and their scam playbooks are overflowing with tried and true formulas.”

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A cybersecurity expert has warned scammers will target those desperate to get their hands on Taylor Swift tickets. Picture: iStock

"Her Facebook friends had been buying concert tickets"

Jacqueline shared the story of a woman in Perth whose Facebook profile was hacked and used to sell fake tickets to Taylor Swift concerts.

She said it was a common tactic for scammers to use everyday accounts to mirror a “safe source”.

“A local Perth woman (told me) her Facebook account, which she hadn’t used in years, had been hacked, and her Facebook friends have been buying concert tickets,” she said.

“More than five victims have already paid more than $4000 for tickets, and the number is growing as she has no control of her Facebook account.

“Alarm bells went off for one of the victims when she was asked to pay another $100 for a ticket name change after already transferring the money.

“She then rang the account holder who told her her account had been hacked.”

The victim, who didn’t want to be named, said she didn’t usually fall for scams, but she thought it was legit because she was “buying the tickets from a friend”.

“I also got another friend to buy a ticket, and I feel responsible now for recommending the fake tickets,” she said.

“I feel like I need to pay my friend back for asking her to buy fake tickets, because I should have known better. I feel awful for falling for this.”

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Jacqueline Jayne. Picture: Supplied

"You would do almost anything to get a hold of those tickets"

Jacqueline said the tale was a cautionary one for anyone with kids or teenagers desperate for a ticket to the show, even though her own 17-year-old son described scams as something only “old people” fall for.

“Let’s jump into the time machine and go back to a time pre-internet when you were desperate for concert tickets,” she said.

“You would do almost anything to get a hold of those tickets. What choices did you have? Not many.

“Even then, scammers found a way with scalping or creating fake tickets, and if you were desperate enough you would become a victim.

“Fast forward to today where everything is done online, and even the tickets are sent to your mobile or email with no paper in sight.”

ScamWatch doesn’t have specific stats for ticket fraud, but Australians reported losses of almost $10,000,000 due to online shopping scams in 2022, which Jacqueline says is likely only a third of the real amount as most people don’t report.

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Taylor Swift will play shows in Sydney and Melbourne early next year. Picture: Supplied

"Do not purchase any tickets on Facebook"

However, she said there were some simple steps parents and their children can take to avoid being the next victim.

“Do not purchase any concert tickets on Facebook,” she said. “If by chance your friend is posing about tickets they have to sell, pick up the phone and speak to them directly.”

Jacqueline said it was important to have extra security measures to make sure your profile wasn’t used by a scammer.

“Set up two-factor authentication,” she said. “It provides you with a second level of protection when you log in to Facebook, which means even if the scammer has your username and password, they won’t be able to get into your account without your mobile in front of them.

“If your Facebook account is hacked, find another way to let people in your friendship group know, and inform Facebook as soon as you are aware.

“These tips apply to any purchase you make online, and remember, if it’s too good to be true, it usually is.”

Originally published as Expert warns of ticket scams with Taylor Swift around the corner