Disappointed Australian Taylor Swift fans discover scam tickets hours before highly-anticipated Eras tour starts in Melbourne
Some Taylor Swift fans have been dealt last-minute heartbreak after discovering they had purchased scam tickets.
Melbourne mother Sarah was left distraught after discovering she had inadvertently acquired stolen tickets just days before the Eras tour kicking off in the city.
She had been looking forward to taking her two daughters, ages 10 and 13, to the first night of the Australian Eras tour at the MCG on Friday night, but was dealt a heartbreaking blow.
Sarah explained how she was devastated to learn that the person who originally owned the tickets had their account hacked, and the tickets were then sold to a third party who on-sold them.
She went to Ticketek’s booth at the MCG on Thursday in a bid to resolve the issue, but to no avail and was left distraught by the scam sale.
Sarah claimed the transactions took place on Ticketek’s resale platform, but the company disputed this.
‘This customer did not purchase her tickets through any official Ticketek platforms… therefore we are unable to verify whether the customer’s tickets are valid,’ a spokesperson told AAP.
Another Swift fan Sophie Le, 33, had four concert tickets but said she discovered on Thursday that her account had been hacked and her tickets sold.
‘I’m just holding on to hope at the moment, I was distraught,’ she said.
Later on Friday, Ticketek reported that Sophie’s ticket problem had thankfully been resolved.
The audience across the three nights in Melbourne is expected to be about 260,000 fans, and Ticketek said it was working around the clock to help people with ticket issues.
‘Ticketek is aware of unauthorised access to individual accounts via information that has been obtained from other sources,’ a company spokesperson said in a statement.
‘Unfortunately, our team are also dealing with thousands of queries that either relate to fraudulent tickets or other scams.’
If customers suspect tickets have been resold fraudulently, they should contact police, and Ticketek would investigate, the company added.
Ticketek said it has also shut down scam sites claiming to be the Marketplace resale platform, and was monitoring the internet and social media to remove scams.
It comes days after Victoria Police had urged fans to be on the lookout for scammers if trying to source any last minute tickets for the Eras tour.
The state’s Cybercrime Squad explained how scammers are targeting eager fans with fake ticket sales on social media and gave advice on how to spot the scams.
The statement read: ‘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.’
‘The scammers will advertise their tickets ‘at cost price’, with a story behind why they can no longer attend.’
‘Check it once, then check it twice – they may try to rush you into buying the tickets and transferring them money. As well as the ticket price, they’ll likely ask you to pay the extra fees to change the name on the ticket.
‘They will often send what they purport to be a screenshot of the email confirmation of having bought the tickets, making the scam look more legitimate.
‘Then, once you’ve transferred the money, life will lose all its meaning for the last time, and the profile will block you.’
Victoria Police said it has already received at least 250 reports of ticketing scams – totalling more than $260,000 – since the Eras Tour kicked off in June last year.
Taylor will play three shows at Melbourne’s MCG on February 16, 17, and 18 before heading to Sydney for four concerts at Accor Stadium on February 23, 24, 25, and 26.