UK Swifties ‘lose £1m’ to Eras Tour ticket scams

UK Taylor Swift fans are estimated to have lost over £1 million (€1.2m) in a wave of online scams since tickets went on sale for the European leg of The Eras Tour last July, according to fresh data.

Analysis by Lloyds Bank of scam reports made by its own customers found a surge in fraud cases from those buying tickets for Swift’s upcoming UK stadium dates.

More than 600 customers have come forward to report being scammed – significantly more than for any other music artist. The average amount lost by each victim was £332, although in some cases it was more than £1,000.

As the figures are based solely on Lloyds’ own customer data, it estimates that across the UK there are likely to have been at least 3,000 victims since tickets went on sale, with over £1m being lost to fraudsters so far.

“For her legion of dedicated Swifties, the excitement is building ahead of Taylor’s Eras Tour finally touching down in the UK this summer,” says Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds Bank. “However, cruel fraudsters have wasted no time in targeting her most loyal fans as they rush to pick up tickets for her must-see concerts.”

“Buying directly from reputable, authorised platforms is the only way to guarantee you’re paying for a genuine ticket”

The record-shattering Eras Tour lands in the UK and Ireland in June with special guests Paramore for stops at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium (7-9 June), Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium (13-15 June), Principality Stadium in Cardiff (18 June), London’s Wembley Stadium (21-23 June & 15-20 August) and Aviva Stadium, Dublin (23-30 June).

Lloyds says that more than 90% of reported cases start with fake adverts or posts on Facebook, where dozens of unofficial groups have been set up specifically for people looking to buy and sell tickets for Swift’s concerts. Likewise, Facebook Marketplace has various listings for tickets at venues all over the country.

“It’s easy to let our emotions get the better of us when we find out our favourite artist is going to be performing live, but it’s important not to let those feelings cloud our judgement when trying to get hold of tickets,” adds Ziegler.

“Buying directly from reputable, authorised platforms is the only way to guarantee you’re paying for a genuine ticket. Even then, always pay by debit or credit card for the greatest protection. If you’re being asked to pay by bank transfer, particularly from a seller you’ve found on social media, that should immediately set alarm bells ringing.”

UK Swifties are not alone in being targeted by con artists around the tour. Australian Taylor Swift fans reportedly lost in excess of A$260,000 (€157,000) in a fake ticket scam for the singer’s February concerts in the country, while Inside Retail reports that Singapore-based recommerce platform Carousell suspended the sale of tickets in all of its six markets to prevent scams ahead of Swift’s Singapore dates in March.

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