West Shore RCMP warns of Facebook Taylor Swift ticket scam

Police on Vancouver Island are warning Taylor Swift fans not to fall for scams advertising resale tickets to her sold-out Vancouver shows on Facebook.

In a statement Friday, West Shore RCMP said it has received “at least four complaints” about a fraud taking place on several Facebook community groups and Facebook Marketplace.

“The complainants advised police that they contacted the seller who claimed to have Taylor Swift concert tickets for sale, and subsequently sent money to the seller, but did not receive the tickets,” the statement reads.

Mounties said they believe the Facebook account advertising the tickets had been hacked.

“Unfortunately, this fraud has multiple victims who have lost money, along with the real Facebook user whose account was hacked and their identity assumed and used to defraud people,” said Cpl. Nancy Saggar in the statement.

The police description of the scam bears a striking resemblance to the experience Sunshine Coast resident Audra O’Loughlin shared with CTV News late last year. 

O’Loughlin and her daughter paid a scammer a total of $1,600 for four tickets, thinking they had done due diligence and found a great deal.

The supposed seller was an acquaintance of one of O’Loughlin’s co-workers, who had vouched for their contact’s integrity, not realizing that the seller’s account had been either hacked or impersonated.

North Vancouver RCMP also warned about Taylor Swift ticket resale scams last year, saying two Facebook Marketplace users in that city had lost upwards of $1,000 each under similar circumstances. 

Swift is scheduled to play three shows at Vancouver’s BC Place on Dec. 6, 7 and 8. Along with six dates in Toronto in November, the shows are Swift’s only stops in Canada on her blockbuster Eras Tour. 

Canadian cities were initially left off the tour schedule entirely, prompting an outcry from fans and social media pleas from politicians including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and B.C. Premier David Eby asking Swift to reconsider.

The West Shore RCMP investigation is ongoing, and police are asking other potential victims to contact them at 250-474-2264.

Mounties also recommend against purchasing concert tickets privately listed online, saying people should only purchase such items from “verified organizations.”