Scammers will try to sell fake Taylor Swift concert tickets in Ontario: police

With international singing star Taylor Swift kicking off a six-concert Toronto stop this Thursday, police in Peel are again warning people in Mississauga, Brampton and across the GTA about an ongoing fraud targeting those who want to get tickets to a show.

Fraud investigators with Peel Regional Police say the scam involves the creation of “a false sense of urgency” to buy discounted concert tickets, which turn out to be bogus.

“If you are in the market for resale concert tickets this week in the GTA, please research where you are purchasing tickets from,” police said in a news release on Tuesday.

Investigators offer a number of tips to avoid becoming a victim:

• always use a verified resale ticket website
• never answer random texts or social media advertising posts for ticket resale
• plan accordingly — pressure from friends or family can only add to the “urgency” to purchase fraudulent tickets
• download tickets to your Apple wallet immediately
• meet in person to conduct the transaction at a Peel Regional Police “Buy and Sell Zone” in police parking lots
• if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is

Peel police say they want all who attend the concerts to enjoy their outings

“Be safe, plan ahead and use the tips (see above) when purchasing resale concert tickets,” they said.

Police note additional fraud prevention tips are available at www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca.

Anyone with information about a possible fraud or questions regarding this scam can call police at 905-453–2121, ext. 3335, or Peel Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Ticket buyers beware! We’ve been seeing some online scams involving the fraudulent sale of #taylorswift tickets! @Officer_Ty gives you a swift run through below: ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/y8xZITg4tj

— Peel Regional Police (@PeelPolice) September 6, 2024

Peel police issued a warning about fake concert tickets back in early September after noticing some bogus online transactions.

Const. Tyler Bell-Morena said at the time “what’s often happening is people’s social media accounts are being hacked, the hackers then making a post trying to offload tickets for cheap.”

More recently, the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said as of Oct. 21 it had received 140 reports of fraudulent Swift tickets this year, most of which came from people who were scammed out of money.

The organization says fans desperate to see the pop star perform live are vulnerable to scams.

“Once you’ve sent money, it’s very difficult to get those funds back,” said Nancy Cahill, a communications officer with the centre, which is jointly operated by the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police and Competition Bureau.

— With files from The Canadian Press