Taylor Swift concert ticket scams in Singapore have cost victims at least $213,000 in January and February, police warn of scammers moving to Telegram
At least 334 victims fall prey as authorities caution concert-goers amidst Swift's sold-out shows
SINGAPORE — Over the past two months, over S$213,000 has been lost to Taylor Swift concert ticket scams, with at least 334 victims falling prey in January and February, the police said on Friday (1 March).
The entertainment darling is currently in Singapore for her highly anticipated six sold-out shows, which are also her only shows in Southeast Asia after a deal negotiated by the Singapore government.
In their advisory, the police reminded the public the importance of caution for online shoppers, particularly those seeking to purchase concert tickets from third-party resellers.
Carousell, an online marketplace, has already taken action by suspending the sale of Taylor Swift concert tickets. However, authorities warned that scammers may shift their operations to other platforms, most notably Telegram.
How the Taylor Swift concert ticket scam operates
In this variant of the scam, the police said victims would encounter Taylor Swift concert ticket listings on various online platforms, including Telegram, X, Facebook, and Xiaohongshu.
"Scammers then would redirect the interested victims to WhatsApp/Telegram/WeChat for further interactions. Victims would then be instructed to make payments for the tickets via PayNow, bank transfers or virtual credits (for example, through Tunes cards)", the police added.
The scheme would unravel when victims realised the tickets were not delivered as promised, or when the scammers disappeared without a trace.
Some concert scam victims who received their tickets would realise they had been scammed when tickets were found to be invalid at concert venues, or when scammers refused to provide physical tickets or any proof of authenticity, the police said.
In light of these incidents, authorities urged the public to refrain from purchasing concert tickets from third-party resellers, and to exclusively buy from authorised sellers.
According to the police, legitimate ticket marketplaces, like Ticketmaster, offer verification of tickets and assured refunds for those who receive invalid tickets. The police also advised individuals to only make payments after receiving the tickets.
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