With the end of the Eras Tour looming and Canada’s fall shows fast approaching, Taylor Swift concert ticket fraud continues to plague Greater Victoria.
Two Oak Bay residents were the latest scammed of both cash and concert hopes by a "Swiftie swindler" on Facebook.
Both were reported to Oak Bay Police Department on June 11.
The first person said they saw a post by a friend on Facebook selling four Taylor Swift tickets for $2,400. The individual e-transferred the cash and received obviously fake tickets in return. The friend associated with the social media account notified the individual the account had been compromised and messages sent to all their friends selling tickets.
A second report to police, associated with the same account, came later that same day.
This time the would-be concert-goer saw their “friend” selling Taylor Swift tickets for $500 each and agreed to buy four – e-transferring $2,000.
After further paying a supposed $400-surcharge, the individual suspected a scam and called their friend who confirmed it.
The two cases are eerily similar to scams plaguing many regions with coming concerts.
West Shore RCMP sounded the alarm in April after four fraudulent Facebook ticket sales were reported to them. Investigators believe the Facebook account selling the tickets was compromised, and their identity assumed to defraud people, police said at the time.
Oak Bay said similar “Swiftie swindle” frauds have been reported in several other police jurisdictions over the past few weeks.
