Taylor Swift fans in the UK have been scammed out of $1.2 million, bank says
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- UK Taylor Swift fans have lost over $1.2 million to Eras Tour ticket scams, Lloyds Bank says.
- The bank issued an urgent warning after it said 600 of its customers fell victim to the scam.
- Most of the ticket scams targeted 25- 34-year-olds through fake ads on Facebook.
It looks like it's heating up to be a Cruel Summer — at least for Swifties in the United Kingdom seeking Eras Tour tickets.
Fans of Taylor Swift have already been scammed out of over $1.2 million trying to purchase concert tickets, mostly through Facebook, according to Lloyds Bank.
This prompted the bank, which is among the United Kingdom's largest, to issue an "urgent warning." The warning said that at least 600 of its customers had been victimized by a ticket scam, losing anywhere from £332 to over £1,000.
Outside of its own banking system, Lloyds estimated some 3,000 more Brits may have fallen prey to the scams, losing as much as £1 million, or over $1.2 million, in total nationwide.
Most of the scams appeared to target 25- to 34-year-olds using fake ads on Facebook, the bank said.
"For her legion of dedicated Swifties, the excitement is building ahead of Taylor's Eras Tour finally touching down in the UK this summer. However cruel fraudsters have wasted no time in targeting her most loyal fans as they rush to pick up tickets for her must-see concerts," fraud prevention director Liz Ziegler said.
The popularity of Swift's Eras Tour has caused all manner of problems for its ticket-seeking fans.
Many Swift fans in the United States were forced to purchase resale tickets after Ticketmaster botched the 2022 release of tickets, prompting a congressional inquiry the following year. Swifties stateside told Business Insider they had to do serious sleuthing to confirm they weren't being scammed when they paid for resale tickets.
In July 2023, the San Francisco Better Business Bureau warned Swift fans that scammers were running ticket scams as her "Eras Tour" date approached in the city, according to ABC.
Alma Galvan, BBB regional communications manager, told the outlet that scammers will sometimes pretend to be friends on social media and sell fans fake tickets for a large price.
The BBB recommends only purchasing tickets from reputable vendors and using a credit card before a debit card, cash transfer app, or cash, the report said.
One Swift fan who spent more than $1,500 on tickets on Facebook Marketplace told BI that she insisted on using Paypal Goods and Services for the transaction because it helps users get a refund if their concert tickets never arrive.