Better Business Bureau urges caution after Vancouver Taylor Swift fan scammed out of thousands

As Taylor Swift fans scramble to score last-minute tickets for her highly-anticipated Vancouver concerts, fraudsters are preying on the desperation. 

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is issuing a warning after a crafty scam left “Swifties” out thousands of dollars.

“In Vancouver, a [social media] profile was hacked and then impersonated. The scammers sold fake Swift tickets and stole over $2,000 from fans who were hoping to attend the Eras tour,” BBB said in a news release on Monday.

Fans still hoping to purchase a ticket are now being urged to be vigilant when buying from third-party vendors or social media accounts.

“You’re going to notice — across social media now and probably more over the next few days — your friends, family, and acquaintances saying they’ve got tickets, and a lot of this is through social media accounts being hacked,” BBB Director of Marketing, Neesha Hothi, told 1130 NewsRadio.

“Scammers are using people’s personal information, potentially even their phone number. You can really get sucked in,” Hothi added.

To avoid falling victim to a similar scam, the BBB recommends a few simple precautions:

• Only buy tickets from trusted vendors. 
• Be cautious of “too-good-to-be-true” deals.
• Always double-check with friends if they’re selling you tickets online.
• Use a credit card for better protection, as it can help with disputes if the tickets turn out to be fake.

Another key warning to keep in mind: Ticketmaster tickets can only be transferred within 72 hours of the event.

The BBB says similar scams targeted fans during Taylor Swift’s Toronto tour stops, where a fraudster was caught by police after swindling over $70,000 by selling fake concert tickets on social media.

If you’ve fallen victim to a scam, you can file a report to the BBB Scam Tracker.