Acclaimed American singer Taylor Swift is preparing for his next Latin American tour ‘Eras Tour’ in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico. However, the overwhelming enthusiasm of the fans has led to an important warning about possible ticketing scams.
The pre-sale of tickets for these shows has mobilized thousands of fans eager to get their place at the party. However, ESET warns that these situations are taken advantage of by scammers who seek economic benefits by selling fake tickets through unofficial channels.
In the case of the shows that Taylor Swift will give in Argentina, tickets are sold as of this Tuesday, June 6 only through the platform All Access and it is noted that tickets that are not purchased on this platform are not enabled to access the River Plate stadium. However, user reports have already been circulating on Twitter showing that the fake ticket sales attempts they began to circulate. In Mexico, where Taylor Swift will also perform as part of the same tour, there are already local media that speak of frauds that are circulating.
Although tickets can only be purchased through the official All Access platform or otherwise people will not be able to access the show, the ESET team warns about some common methods that criminals can use so that people do not fall for the temptation:
- Fake sites on Google: Be careful with the links that appear in the first search results. Although they are usually legitimate, cybercriminals manage to appear with fake sites in the first results of a search, either through Sponsored links or even organically ranking malicious sites. Therefore, the recommendation is to verify that it is the official site and not a replica or even an alternative site.
- Social Media Scammers: On social networks or messaging apps, it is possible to find people offering tickets, but it is important to be very careful because this can end in a big headache, where not only are you not getting the tickets, but you lose money. Some people claim that contact each other through Instagram and once they make the payment for the tickets, the scammers block victim and delete messages.
- Ticket resale on e-commerce platforms: Depending on the country, they can be via Facebook Marketplacethrough Free market or another similar platform where scammers usually offer to sell tickets. Although sometimes they may be real tickets, many times they are not, which makes it safer to use official channels.
- Beware of cloning entries: In some cases it has also happened that people buy their tickets and post a photo of them on social networks. What they don’t realize is that by sharing the image of the tickets they could be exposing sensitive information, such as the barcode or QR code, and scammers can use this data to clone the entries and then sell them.
“Beyond what are the ways to deceive people that criminals choose in each particular case, people should always keep in mind that the safest way is always the official site and that buying through alternative means should be avoided. Criminals always try to take advantage of people’s vulnerability at times like the preview of a show, where available tickets are sold out due to high demand and desperation often leads many fans to make a bad decision.” comments Martina López, Computer Security Researcher at ESET Latin America.
Tips to avoid falling for these scams:
- Buy only on official websites or platforms, informed by the artist, or advertised on the physical site where the event will take place. Check the site’s reputation and buyer protection policies before making a purchase.
- Avoid making transactions outside of established platforms. Do not rely on screenshots or digital images as sufficient proof of the authenticity of the tickets.
- Use safe and secure payment methods, and prefer credit cards. In this last means of payment, it is easier and faster to cancel a fraudulent charge.
- Stay informed about the ticket sales policies and procedures established by the concert organizers. Do not be tempted to pay third parties for advantages in the virtual queue.
- Be suspicious of offers that seem too good to be true. Buying tickets at prices significantly below market value can be a sign of possible scam.
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