The excitement of securing tickets to see a favourite artist can quickly become a nightmare as concert ticket scams are rising. This growing trend is victimizing fans across the globe, with scammers taking advantage of their eagerness to attend high-profile events. A recent incident in Maharashtra highlights the ever-increasing menace.
In a shocking case, an 18-year-old from Chunabhatti, Maharashtra, lost ₹2.2 lakh in an attempt to buy tickets for a Coldplay concert. After finding a legitimate contact online, the teenager paid ₹7,000 for his ticket via UPI. He then shared the contact with friends, who collectively spent ₹2.17 lakh on 24 tickets. The scammers sent a fraudulent email confirmation from ‘confirmation@book-my-show.co,’ but the scam was uncovered when a relative noticed inconsistencies in the email address. A police report was promptly filed, but the damage was done.
Unfortunately, concert ticket fraud is not an isolated issue. Singapore saw a major wave of such scams earlier this year. In February, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) reported that 583 individuals were swindled out of at least $223,000 through fraudulent ticket sales for popular concerts. Scammers used fake e-commerce listings and even provided false screenshots to dupe victims, targeting major events such as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and performances by Coldplay, Joker Xue, and the K-pop group Enhypen.
In the UK, fans of Taylor Swift were hit particularly hard. A report from Lloyds Bank revealed that 90% of fraud cases surrounding Swift’s Eras Tour tickets involved victims accessing unofficial groups to buy or sell tickets. More than 600 customers reported being scammed, with an average loss of £332, though some lost over £1,000. Concert ticket fraud in general has risen by 158% in 2024, with Coldplay, Beyonce, and Harry Styles among the top targeted artists.
Hong Kong has also been affected, with over HK$420,000 lost due to 57 ticket scam cases in July alone. Fraudsters used social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook to lure in victims eager to see South Korean pop groups.
Scammers aren’t the only problem, as even concert organizers can contribute to the chaos. A.R. Rahman’s Marakkuma Nenjam concert in Chennai in September 2023 was marred by overselling and fake tickets. Thousands of fans were left disappointed as overcrowding led to a police investigation.
Experts advise concertgoers to only buy tickets from trusted sellers and be cautious of deals that seem too good to be true. Without taking these precautions, fans risk falling victim to these increasingly common scams.
