Taylor Swift fans lose at least $1 million to Eras Tour scams in the UK

<i>Kevin Winter/Getty Images via CNN Newsource</i><br/>Taylor Swift performs at the opening night of the global Eras Tour on March 17

By CNN Newsource

Published April 18, 2024 6:52 AM

By Hanna Ziady, CNN

London (CNN) — Thousands of Taylor Swift’s UK fans have been duped into buying fake tickets for her upcoming Eras Tour concerts, according to a major British bank.

More than 600 customers have reported being scammed so far, losing on average £332 ($414) each, and in some cases more than £1,000 ($1,247), Lloyds Bank said in a statement Wednesday.

“As these figures are based solely on Lloyds Bank’s 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 £1 million being lost to fraudsters so far,” the lender added.

The impact of Swift’s global Eras Tour has been felt far and wide — embroiling Singapore in a diplomatic spat; leaving Ticketmaster facing a court case from angry fans; and proving a major boon for the travel industry, local governments and even food banks.

The tour — the highest-grossing of all time — kicked off in the United States in March 2023 and will wrap up in December this year. Swift performs the first of 15 concerts in the United Kingdom in June.

With all UK dates now sold out, desperate fans are more likely to turn to resale sites and social media for tickets.

Lloyds said it expects to see “many more fans fall victim to ticket scams in the coming weeks and months,” leading up to the first concert in Edinburgh, Scotland.

“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,” said Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director at Lloyds.

“Buying directly from reputable, authorized 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,” she added.

According to UK Finance, a financial services industry association, Brits lost more than £40 million ($50 million) to “purchase scams,” including sales of fraudulent tickets, in the first half of last year.

HSBC, Europe’s biggest bank, directed CNN to a “Ticket fraud” warning on its website dated April 2024, which said customers should avoid “buying gig, festival or sports tickets from anyone apart from official vendors, the box office or reputable fan seller sites.”

“Criminals typically pose as a seller and post on social media or an online marketplace. They’ll tell you they’ll post or email the tickets once you’ve transferred the money to their bank account. But when you try to contact them after nothing’s arrived, they’ve disappeared off the face of the earth,” the warning added.

HSBC said this happens to “thousands” of people every year. In November, the bank warned customers over ticket scams relating to Glastonbury, the popular outdoor music festival held annually in England in the summer.

Kirsty Adams, a product manager at Barclays UK, said: “2024 is a huge year for entertainment — with Taylor Swift and Glastonbury kicking off the summer in June, closely followed by the Euros, the Olympics and the Paralympics.

“Whilst most fans will have already secured their tickets, it’s likely we’ll see a surge of resales nearer the time, with scammers targeting fans who may have missed out and failed to secure a ticket in the ballot or draw process.”