We’re now three days until Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour lands at Gillette Stadium, and plenty of people are still hoping they can get their hands on some tickets.
One of our producers was ready to score a couple of seats after seeing a social media post about tickets for sale.
Luckily, she talked to NBC10 Consumer Investigative Reporter Leslie Gaydos before she sent the money.
This is how they were able to spot the scam:
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Our producer saw a post on a Facebook page of a professional organization page that read: "Four Taylor Swift tickets for sale."
The seller was another member of the group, and they had some common friends. It seemed legitimate. So, they started messaging.
The seller told her the tickets were priced at $250 each – that was the first red flag. The Eras tour is one of the largest and most sought-after concert tours in history — ticket sales in the first place caused a minor meltdown at Ticketmaster. Tickets are scarce and are valued at much more than that.
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But the seller had details about the seats—the section and row. They even mentioned they were electronic tickets that would be sent over once purchased.
The seller asks, “how do you intend making payment – you got Zelle, Venmo by chance?” -- that odd language is another sign of a possible scam.
Our producer asked if they could make the sale through a major ticketing site or well-known online payment site. But the seller said no, because they take commission, and it would take too long for her to get the money going that route. The push to cash app payment is another red flag. Once you send the money that way it's gone - you’re not protected if it turns out to be a scam.
Our producer tried to make some small talk mentioning the friends they had in common. However, the seller ignored her. It was another red flag that she didn't want to have a conversation to talk about who their mutual friends are.
That’s when our producer reached out to the woman she thought she was talking with another way. She went through LinkedIn and asked to confirm she was selling the tickets.
The woman’s reply:
“I am not selling Taylor Swift tickets. That is the hacker of my old Facebook account that I have been reporting to Facebook for 12 days to no avail. Sorry if it caused you any heartburn. No one listens at Facebook, to the scammer's delight.”
Facebook’s policy prohibits the impersonation of others on their platform.
We reached out to Facebook to alert them to the hack and ticket scam, and they asked us for a link to the hacked account so they could investigate.
Some other tips to consider closer to the concert date:
You should be very cautious about buying any tickets via social media. Long after Taylor Swift has come and gone, these scammers will be out there targeting you with tickets to other concerts and sporting events.
If you think a friend is selling a ticket that you want, you really need to talk to them directly on the phone or in person and confirm that the whole thing is legitimate. And don’t let the excitement of scoring tickets cloud your judgment.
Have a consumer complaint? Reach out to the NBC10 Boston Responds team online or call 1-888-521-NEWS.
