17 April 2024 , 20:33
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Taylor Swift fans have lost an estimated £1m in ticket scams ahead of the UK leg of her Eras tour, according to a report by Lloyds Bank.
The bank said more than 600 of its customers had come forward to report being scammed, losing an average of £332 each - with some losing £1,000.
It added that 90% of the reported ticket scams started on Facebook.
There has been huge demand for tickets to see the superstar when she performs in the UK in June and August.
’It’s horrible - you just feel helpless’
When Karen Elrick’s Facebook account was hacked in December, scammers started impersonating her, posting messages offering Taylor Swift tickets for sale.
Several friends fell foul of the trick, transferring about £750 each - before discovering the ads weren’t real and the tickets didn’t exist.
"I know of at least three, but I think the police said there were four that have actually bought the tickets," says the 38-year-old from Glasgow. "And I think as soon as the money’s gone through, they’re then just blocked on the Facebook account."
The police have made little progress and Facebook have not removed the account, despite multiple requests, she says.
The scammers regularly post similar messages, leaving them up for about a day before removing them so they are no longer there if Facebook investigates.
"It’s horrible," she says. "You just feel very helpless because it’s friends of yours that are losing money. They obviously realise quite quickly it’s not me that’s stealing from them, but it’s just not a nice feeling.
"It’s totally out of my control and there doesn’t seem to be anything that anyone can help with. Nobody seems to be able to do anything."
She adds: "If you see Taylor Swift tickets on Facebook, it’s likely a scam."
Lloyds said there were significantly more ticket scam reports relating to Swift than any other artist.
If other banks have similar figures, there are likely to have been at least 3,000 victims across the UK, it said.