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Taylor Swift fans might have misplaced upwards of £1m to fraudsters claiming to supply tickets to the pop star’s forthcoming live shows, a serious financial institution has stated.
Lloyds Bank has issued a warning to music fans, saying that greater than 600 of its UK clients have come ahead to this point to report being scammed.
Swift is at the moment getting ready to kick off the Europe and UK/Ireland legs of her record-breaking Eras Tour, which has already seen her carry out to hundreds of fans in stadiums around the globe.
The figures from Lloyds Bank had been based mostly on evaluation of related buy scams reported by clients at Lloyds Bank, Halifax and the Bank of Scotland, the place Swift and/or the Eras Tour had been referenced as half of the declare, between July 2023 and March 2024.
On common, every sufferer misplaced round £332, although Lloyds stated that in some circumstances they had been fleeced of greater than £1,000.
Assuming comparable developments for patrons of different UK banks, LLoyds estimated that there have been not less than 3,000 victims since tickets for Swift’s Eras Tour went on sale.
Fans aged between 25 to 34 had been probably to be targeted, with many of the scams originating on social media.
Swift has offered out each of her scheduled tour dates the place tickets have been launched to this point, leaving hundreds extra fans determined for an opportunity to see her carry out stay.
During her North America leg, fans had been typically seen gathered in giant crowds outdoors stadiums the place she was performing, only for the prospect to sing alongside.
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The Independent has contacted Swift’s representatives for remark.
Lloyds stated that fans of different main artists such as Beyoncé, Harry Styles and Coldplay had been additionally targeted final summer season.
Ticket scams transpire when somebody is tricked into sending cash by way of financial institution switch to purchase tickets which can be pretend, shoddy or non-existent. They typically contain pretend adverts or listings on social media providing tickets to occasions which have already offered out.
Victims shall be requested to pay for the tickets upfront, solely to search out that the scammer disappears as soon as the fee is made, leaving them out of pocket and with out tickets.
Lloyds stated that there are often two waves of fraud: the primary when tickets go on sale, and the second nearer to when the occasion is going down.
Liz Ziegler, fraud prevention director, Lloyds Bank, stated: “For her legion of dedicated Swifties, the excitement is building ahead of Taylor’s Eras Tour finally touching down in the UK this summer.
“However cruel fraudsters have wasted no time in targeting her most loyal fans as they rush to pick up tickets for her must-see concerts.
“It’s easy to let our emotions get the better of us when we find out our favourite artist is going to be performing live, but it’s important not to let those feelings cloud our judgment when trying to get hold of tickets.”
Lisa Webb, shopper regulation skilled at Which?, stated that if it regarded too good to be true, “it probably is.”
“Don’t be tempted to buy tickets from anyone other than authorised sellers, as your rights can be significantly reduced if something goes wrong,” she stated.
“If you are buying tickets, we recommend you pay using your credit card if the tickets cost more than £100, or by PayPal, as both these methods may provide protection if something goes wrong.
“If you think you have fallen victim to a ticket scam, contact your bank immediately and report it to Action Fraud or Police Scotland.”
Lloyds Bank supplied the next ideas to assist keep away from falling sufferer to ticket scams:
- Buy from trusted retailers. Only buy tickets from well-known, official ticket platforms.
- Be cautious on social media – bear in mind it’s simple for fraudsters to create pretend advertisements together with footage of actual tickets.
- Avoid offers that look too good to be true. Tickets on the market at low costs or for sold-out occasions ought to ring alarm bells. Ask your self if the deal appears reasonable.
- Consider paying by debit or bank card. This helps to guard your cash ought to one thing go improper. PayPal is an alternative choice that provides folks added protections if one thing goes improper.
Last 12 months, it was reported by stay music commerce publication Pollstar that Swift’s Eras Tour had, by December, generated round $1.04bn (£836m) in gross ticket gross sales, making Swift’s the primary ever tour to hit the billion greenback milestone.
During the 12-month interval of 17 November 2022 to fifteen November 2023, Pollstar reported that the Eras Tour offered an estimated 4.35 million tickets from 60 reveals, whereas Swift’s merchandise generated an additional $200m in income throughout that point.
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