Bad blood for Swifties as ticket scams plague Canadian fans

Taylor Swift recently announced that her Eras Tour was coming to Toronto for six shows in November 2024.

But Canadian fans have more than the concert preparation playlist to worry about as scammers are using the highly anticipated events to take advantage of Swifties.

In a news release, the Better Business Bureau warned fans to be careful when purchasing second-hand tickets. The bureau stated that scammers pretend to be fellow Swifties to trick fans.

“A common way that scammers find their victims is by browsing (Taylor Swift) fan pages and contacting the fans directly about the ‘tickets’ they have for sale,” the release said.

“The scammer may seem like a fellow ‘Swiftie,’ which is why the deal will appear legit.”

Swift’s only scheduled Canadian performances will be at the Rogers Centre in downtown Toronto on Nov. 14 to 16 and Nov. 21 to 23, and some fans are expected to travel great distances to attend.

Ticketing tricks

The shows are already sold out through the venue’s mainstream ticketing service, Ticketmaster, which is not currently offering tickets for resale through the secondary market for those shows.

Ticketmaster was in a Swift-related controversy last year when there were multiple issues selling tickets for dates on the pop star’s U.S. stadium tour.

The Better Business Bureau said that aside from pretending to be a Swift fan, scammers use the relative novelty of ticket reselling to make their fake tickets seem more legitimate.

“Scammers use these platforms to their advantage because the concept of online tickets with QR codes is relatively new and many people don’t completely understand how they work,” the release said.

“The most popular way people get scammed in this situation, especially when the event is in high demand, is due to scammers pretending to transfer their tickets from one of these legitimate platforms.”

Ticketmaster has a dedicated web page to help fans with third-party buyers, as do other major reselling sites like StubHub or SeatGeek.

The bureau advised fans to research the ticket vendor before purchasing anything.

“Some scammers will even pretend like they are holding up their end of the bargain all the way until you get to the gates of the stadium and the ticket will not scan,” it said in the release.

“This is why it is so important to do your research to ensure you know exactly who you are buying your ticket from.”

Not all too well

Swift fans are known for their intense love for the artist. While that can sometimes pit fans against each other, it usually creates a strong community.

Fans are desperately trying to see their favourite artist in Toronto, but have taken to social media to voice their fears of being scammed.

X user @jaredegoodman_ asked members of their online community about the right way to purchase resale tickets.

On Facebook, the Swift ticket selling groups have clear warnings about scammers. Many users like Lauren Moulton still search for tickets but do it hesitantly.

The Better Business Bureau empathized with the Swifties’ dilemma but emphasized how important it is to look into the backgrounds of who they may be purchasing from.

“It’s easy to fall for fake ticket scams, so it is extremely important to do your homework before purchasing tickets.”