Guelph woman loses $600 in Taylor Swift ticket scam

Taylor Swift performs at the Monumental stadium during her Eras Tour concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Nov. 9, 2023. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Guelph police say a local woman won’t be able to get her money back after she lost $600 trying to buy Taylor Swift concert tickets.

The woman called police on Saturday to report a scam.

She had replied to a Facebook ad offering two tickets for $300 each, sending $600 with the understanding the tickets would be transferred to her Ticketmaster account.

The woman shared copies of the messages between her and the supposed seller with officers, as well as voice note in which the seller had a notably strong accent, police said in a news release.

Officers managed to call the owner of the Facebook page who said her account had been hacked in September and she has been trying to have it deactivated ever since.

Police told the victim they would not be able to recover her funds.

“Residents are reminded to never send payment or provide personal information to anyone they do not know personally, and to be very cautious of those trying to pressure them to do so,” police said.

This is the third alert Guelph police have issued in recent months about Taylor Swift ticket scams.

In October, police warned they’d seen an increase in ticket-related fraud, specifically involving Swift’s Eras Tour.

Scammers typically create multiple fake accounts either with stolen identity details and pictures or entirely fabricated information, police said.

“They then post the fake or nonexistent concert tickets for sale online. Once a potential victim inquires about the tickets, the scammer will chat online directly with them, allowing the scammer the chance to pressure or persuade the victim into falling for their fraud,” police said in October.

“Remember, if a deal seems too good to be true, it usually is.”

HOW TO AVOID BEING SCAMMED

Police have issued the following tips:

• Meet the seller in a person and at a public place
• Before meeting, do your own research, as scammers are more likely to pressure buyers if they don’t send the money fast enough
• Inspect the item first before sending any money
• Avoid making transactions through Interac E-Transfer as once the money has been deposited, the transaction cannot be reversed and likely will never be returned