Live entertainment fans have a lot to look forward to this summer, with a variety of major sporting and music events scheduled over the next few months. However, scammers are also eager to target fans who may have missed out on securing tickets in time.
It's easy to let our emotions get the better of us when we find out our favorite artist will be performing live, but it's important not to let those feelings cloud our judgment when trying to get hold of tickets.
Ticket scams can occur when you visit a fake ticket website (we'll use Ticketmaster as an example because it is the world's largest ticket marketplace) or when you engage on social media with a scammer who tries to sell a fake or nonexistent ticket for an event.
Related: Notorious hacking group claims Ticketmaster data breach; Personal details of 560 million customers potentially compromised
Did You Know?
- Ticketmaster sells 15 tickets per second to events happening around the world. Every year, Ticketmaster sells nearly 500 million tickets for concerts, events, and games, and their sites receive more than a billion visits annually.
- Taylor Swift ticket scams have resulted in British fans losing over £1 million since tickets to her upcoming Eras tour went on sale.
- Data from Action Fraud showed that £6.7 million was lost to ticket fraud across the UK in 2023.
Fake Tickets Through Social Media - How It Works
Santander reports that two-thirds (67%) of their customers who were scammed while trying to buy a ticket indicated that the scam originated from social media. The highest reported claims were for concert and festival tickets, accounting for nearly half (47%) of all claims, followed by football tickets (17%) and flights (7%).
How the ticket scam unfolds on social media:
- Initial contact: You find someone on social media selling tickets for a sold-out event and reach out to them.
- Pressure to act quickly: The seller claims there is high demand and pressures you to make a full payment to secure the tickets.
- Payment made: You transfer the money, but:
- The tickets never arrive.
- They agree to meet you at the event to hand over the tickets, but no one shows up.
- You receive the tickets, but they turn out to be fake.
- Failed Communication: When you try to contact the seller again, you either can't reach them, are ignored, or discover their social media account has been closed.
Related: Facebook Marketplace scams you should avoid
3 Specific Ticketmaster Scams You Need To Know About
1. Look-Alike Ticketmaster Websites
Scammers often create websites that closely resemble Ticketmaster that will appear in your search results. Their goal is to trick you into thinking you are on the real site and type in all your details, from credentials to credit card numbers they can steal and use for their own benefit.
What to do: Always check you are on https://www.ticketmaster.comwebsite and not on a variation before providing any information.
Related: How to Spot and Report Email Scams
2. Fake Ticket Listings for Sold-Out Events
Listing fake ticket offers for sold-out events is a common scam. Some scammers hack into Ticketmaster accounts and then get video proof of the tickets they advertise on social media. When a victim sends money, the account gets suspended, and the tickets are never sent.
What to do: Scammers often use new or stolen accounts. Check the seller's profile for details, friends, or suspicious posts. If these are missing, it's probably a scam.
Related: Quishing: Take a moment before scanning that QR code! It could contain a harmful link
3. Fake Ticketmaster Support Phone Numbers
Be cautious of scammers who might try to manipulate you by calling you on the phone and pretending to be Ticketmaster support. They may also send phishing emails, create fake websites, or list fraudulent Ticketmaster support phone numbers to trick you into calling them. Once they have you on the phone, they may try to pressure you into sharing personal information that they can use to steal your identity.
What to do: If you need to contact support, make sure to get the details from the official Ticketmaster.com website and not from any SMS or emails you may receive.
Related: How To Spot and Avoid Tech Support Scams
How to check that your tickets are legitimate
If you purchase your tickets directly from the official Ticketmaster website, they will appear in your Ticketmaster account. Log in, navigate to "My Events," and select the event to view your tickets. If they're listed, they are genuine.
If you bought them from other sources, verify their authenticity before investing time and money in traveling to the event.
Here's how to do it:
- Contact Ticketmaster for verification: Use Ticketmaster's virtual assistant to verify your tickets. They can confirm their authenticity and provide tips on how to spot fake tickets.
- Official email confirmation: Genuine Ticketmaster tickets will be accompanied by emails from an "@ticketmaster.com" address. Emails from personal or non-official addresses (like Gmail, Outlook, or Yahoo!) are a red flag for scams.
- Examine physical tickets: For physical tickets, check for correct spelling, accurate date format, website links, and overall quality. Authentic tickets are printed on high-quality paper and free from spelling errors. Note that Ticketmaster does not use commas in dates, while fake tickets often do.
What to Do If You've Been Scammed Buying Tickets
If you've fallen victim to a ticket scam or purchased fake tickets, follow these steps to recover your money.
Contact Ticketmaster or the resale site: Contact Ticketmaster or the platform where you bought the tickets. If your tickets have been duplicated or transferred to another account, Ticketmaster might be able to issue new tickets and invalidate the fraudulent ones.
File a chargeback: Contact your credit card company or payment platform immediately to request a chargeback. Explain the situation and see if you can recover the money you sent to the scammer.
Report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Submit a complaint to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. This helps the FTC fight scams and protect others from similar fraud. If you shared personal information with the scammer, also file a report at IdentityTheft.gov to address potential identity theft.
Contact Local Law Enforcement: File a police report with your local law enforcement agency. Provide any information about the scammer that could assist in an investigation. Some financial institutions require a police report to resolve disputes, so this step can help safeguard your financial reputation.
Monitor your personal information: Scammers sometimes wait before using stolen data. Use a tool like Bitdefender Digital Identity Protection, which continuously monitors your data to keep you safe in the long run by detecting and preventing misuse of your personal information.
How to Protect Yourself from Ticket Scams
When purchasing tickets for a game, concert, or any other event, follow these tips to avoid scams:
- Buy from official sources: Always purchase tickets from trustworthy and official sellers or websites. This is the safest way to ensure your tickets are legitimate.
- Use secure payment methods: Opt for payment methods that offer protection, such as credit cards. Credit cards provide recourse if the tickets are fraudulent. Avoid using debit cards, wire transfers, or cash, as these methods make it difficult to recover your money if something goes wrong.
- Research the seller: Check the seller or broker's reputation on BBB.org to see other customers' experiences. You can also confirm the seller on VerifiedTicketSource.com to ensure you are dealing with a National Association of Ticket Brokers member resale company.
- Be Cautious of Online Ads: Be wary of advertisem*nts for cheap tickets on social media and other websites. Scammers often use low prices to lure buyers. Use good judgment and thoroughly check the legitimacy of such offers.
- Identify scams with Scamio: If you have any doubts about the legitimacy of a ticket or seller, use Scamio, our AI-powered scam detection tool. Send any suspicious texts, messages, links, QR codes, or images to Scamio, and it will analyze them to determine if they are part of a scam. Scamio is free and available on Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and your web browser.
You can also help others stay safe by sharing Scamio with them in France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Romania, Australia, and the UK.
Q&A
How do I know if my Ticketmaster tickets are legit?
Always buy them directly from Ticketmaster or Live Nation. Verified Tickets purchased through these sources will be displayed in your Ticketmaster account under "My Events." If your tickets appear there, they are authentic. Unfortunately, tickets bought from third-party sellers cannot be verified by Ticketmaster.
Is ticket resale from Ticketmaster legit?
Yes, ticket resale through Ticketmaster is legitimate. When you buy a Resale ticket through Ticketmaster, the process is the same as purchasing a regular ticket. Ticketmaster verifies each ticket during the ownership transfer, ensuring that the ticket is valid and granting you access to the specified seat.
What is a Ticketmaster verified resale ticket?
Verified Resale Tickets are tickets sold by fans that have been authenticated by Ticketmaster. This service allows you to buy tickets to events that might be sold out, with the assurance that these tickets have been 100% verified by Ticketmaster for authenticity.
