Some BC Taylor Swift fans have been victims of online ticket fraud, which has led North Vancouver RCMP to put out a statement warning the public.
In two reported incidents, victims were swiftly swindled out of thousands of dollars.
Based on the details of both frauds, this seems to be a case of buyer beware, and if something feels too good to be true, particularly in the case of Swift tickets, it probably is.
- You might also like:
- “I deserve a little treat”: Getting Taylor Swift tickets while dealing with affordability woes
- Taylor Swift fans have one last chance at Vancouver Eras Tour tickets this week
- Paint it, whack: Rolling Stones fan complains about Vancouver ticket prices
In one instance, a fraud victim found an ad online, and both parties agreed on a price of $1020.20 for the Swift ticket purchase. The victim e-transferred the money, and then the suspect sent an email with a wallet attachment without instructions for a Ticketmaster transfer.
The victim inquired further, but then the suspect stopped responding.
In a separate instance, a victim responded to an ad for four tickets. The seller and victim negotiated a price of $1,400. The victim e-transferred the money, and then the seller requested $400 more.
In this case, the seller sent tickets to the victim by email but didn’t provide a passcode to redeem the tickets. Like the first instance, the seller stopped responding and is now out $1,800.
RCMP is warning the public to avoid sending money on person-to-person platforms using methods like e-transfer unless they know the seller personally. RCMP also suggests avoiding buying from unknown people entirely on platforms like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
“Take a breath. Scammers prey on a sense of urgency. Take the time to do due diligence. You may not end up getting the tickets, but you’ll still have your cash.”