International markets warn of rise in ticket fraud

Concertgoers are being advised to be vigilant following a rise in reports of ticket fraud in a number of markets.

After at least 1,050 reports of scams were lodged in relation to Taylor Swift’s 2024 concert in Singapore – with total losses amounting to at least S$658,000 (€444,185) – police have issued a warning ahead of Blackpink’s 29-30 November shows at Singapore National Stadium.

It says the prevailing method employed for The Eras Tour shows involved advertisements on messaging or social media platforms, with scammers providing screenshots or videos of fake tickets or receipts to convince victims that the tickets are authentic.

Victims would only realise they had been scammed when the sellers did not deliver the tickets or became uncontactable; while some who received their tickets found them to be invalid.

Police have encouraged the public to purchase Blackpink tickets only from authorised platform Ticketmaster.

“Police would like to highlight terms and conditions from Ticketmaster on the sale of Blackpink concert tickets in Singapore, which state clearly that tickets cannot be transferred or resold,” says a statement. “Those who are found to have purchased resale tickets will be turned away from the concert at the Singapore Sports Hub, with no refund. The Police has also reached out to platforms such as Carousell, Facebook Marketplace and TikTok to seek their collaboration to take down listings of resale tickets.”

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, a 25-year-old man was reportedly scammed out of HK$4,900 (€539) when trying to buy two tickets for the K-pop group’s concerts at the city’s Kai Tak Sports Park in January 2026. The case was one of 200 reports relating to online shopping scams over the past week, with the victims conned out of HK$5.5 million (€605,000) in total.

“A guest who wanted to buy a ticket from a private individual discovered that the ticket was counterfeit and probably made with artificial intelligence”

In Europe, Danish trade body Dansk Live has warned of “new and more advanced methods” among scammers after the Danish National Police Unit for Serious Crime said that ticket fraud for festivals and other events had increased in recent years.

“We have a member who experienced that a guest who wanted to buy a ticket from a private individual discovered that the ticket was counterfeit and probably made with artificial intelligence,” says Dansk Live director Esben Marcher. “The police assess that this is an isolated case, but it shows that there is a great wealth of ideas and that as a consumer you need to be extra careful if you buy tickets outside the official sales channels.”

And in the UK back in April, national fraud and cybercrime reporting service Action Fraud said there were 9,826 ticket fraud reports in 2024, up 11% year-on-year. The combined reported financial loss was £9.8 million (€11.5m) – a 47% rise on 2024’s £6.7m (€7.9m), with 38% of reports made last year mentioning concert tickets.

It launched a ticket fraud awareness campaign ahead of the summer’s concerts, as reporting insights revealed June and July had the highest levels of reporting.

“Beware of fraudsters trying to take advantage by selling fake tickets to popular or sold-out events online or on social media, especially if you receive unsolicited or unexpected messages offering tickets.

“Protect yourself from ticket fraud: ensure you buy your tickets securely by checking for the STAR logo, and using either an official agent, a reputable ticket exchange site or going directly to the venue’s box office,” said acting director Claire Webb. “Requests for payment via bank transfer is a sign of fraud: always pay with a credit card if you can. Follow Action Fraud’s advice for more tips on how to protect yourself.”

According to research by Lloyds Bank, UK Oasis fans have lost an estimated £2m to ticket scammers since tickets for the reunion tour went on sale last year.

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