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How to be sure your Taylor Swift concert tickets aren’t fake
Taylor Swift fans are scrambling for tickets to the pop artist’s sold out “Eras Tour.” The rush for seats is also inviting the interest of another party: scammers.
The Better Business Bureau warns of at least 20 distinct instances of related scams. For example, one consumer said a Twitter user advertised tickets for sale and requested $800 through mobile payment apps. The victim sent the money, but never received the concert tickets. Other scammers are hacking into Facebook users’ accounts to impersonate them and dupe their close contacts into transferring them money for tickets that don’t exist.
Strong demand for tickets, coupled with mobile technology that makes it hard to spot fake tickets, puts consumers at risk of being duped into purchasing phony tickets, according to consumer watchdog Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG). Along with Swift. some of the biggest names in entertainment, such as Beyoncé, Pink and the Arctic Monkeys, have upcoming shows, making it important for fans to remain vigilant.
“Desperate music and sports fans can fall for scams involving tickets because they want to go so much that they make bad decisions they wouldn’t normally make,” Teresa Murray, consumer watchdog at U.S. PIRG Education Fund, said in a statement.
The consumer watchdog urges consumers to avoid buying event tickets through marketplaces like Facebook, Instagram and Craigslist, where scammers may lurk. Even people who secure authentic tickets can be exposed to having their information hacked using such sites, with the group noting that it can be hard or impossible to recoup losses.
“It’s sad, but it’s easier than ever for music or sports fans to get scammed by counterfeit tickets or get tricked into providing their personal information,” Murray said. “And by the time you realize there’s a problem, the thief and your money are long gone.”
Common types of ticket scams
- Counterfeit paper or electronic tickets. You shell out for tickets that are invalid.
- Scammers who have legitimate tickets sell them to multiple buyers.
- Con artists who create bogus websites that mimic sites such as StubHub, VividSeats or TicketMaster to capture consumer search traffic. They pretend to sell tickets but instead steal your credit or debit card information
Tips for avoiding scams
First, don’t buy tickets from strangers. Keep your guard up when looking for tickets to attend events at sold-out venues. It’s best to purchase tickets through a verified agency.
“Unless you’re buying tickets from someone you actually know — a co-worker, a relative, a super close friend — then don’t try to buy tickets from an individual,” Murray wrote in a blog post.
PIRG also advises against purchasing tickets using a payment service like Zelle, Venmo or PayPal — if it’s a scam, it will be impossible to recoup your money. If you willingly pay a third party using one of these services, they are not responsible if you are duped.
Relatedly, it’s better to buy tickets with a credit card than a debit card because the former typically have more protections under the Fair Credit Billing Act. If you’re scammed, you can file a claim with your credit issuer and they will typically refund you.
While it may seem obvious, you should only purchase tickets through well-known, reputable resellers. Beware of duplicate sites that mimic those of known companies. Also research their refund policy just in case the tickets they sell you turn out to be counterfeit.. Finally, cross-check the section and seat number on a ticket with the layout of the venue to make sure it actually exists.
NEW YORK — Former New York Gov. David Paterson and his stepson were attacked in New York City on Friday night, authorities said.
The incident occurred just before 9 p.m. on Second Avenue near East 96th Street on the Upper East Side, according to the New York City Police Department.
Police said officers were sent to the scene after an assault was reported. When officers arrived, police say they found a 20-year-old man suffering from facial injuries and a 70-year-old man who had head pain. Both victims were taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the former governor said the two were attacked while “taking a walk around the block near their home by some individuals that had a previous interaction with his stepson.”
The spokesperson said that they were injured “but were able to fight off their attackers.”
Both were taken to Cornell Hospital “as a precaution,” he added.
Police said no arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing.
The 70-year-old Paterson, a Democrat, served as governor from 2008 to 2010, stepping into the post after the resignation of Eliot Spitzer following his prostitution scandal. He made history at the time as the state’s first-ever Black and legally blind governor.
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A 17-year-old boy was critically injured and a person is in custody after a gunman opened fire on a SEPTA bus in North Philadelphia Friday evening, police said.
At around 6:15 p.m., Philadelphia police were notified about a shooting on a SEPTA bus traveling on Allegheny Avenue near 3rd and 4th streets in North Philadelphia, Inspector D F Pace told CBS News Philadelphia.
There were an estimated 30 people on the bus at the time of the shooting, Pace said, but only the 17-year-old boy was believed to have been shot. Investigators said they believe it was a targeted attack on the teenager and that he was shot in the back of the bus at close range.
According to Pace, the SEPTA bus driver alerted a control center about the shooting, which then relayed the message to Philadelphia police, who responded to the scene shortly.
Officers arrived at the scene and found at least one spent shell casing and blood on the bus, but no shooting victim, Pace said. Investigators later discovered the 17-year-old had been taken to Temple University Hospital where he is said to be in critical condition, according to police.
CBS Philadelphia
Through their preliminary investigation, police learned those involved in the SEPTA shooting may have fled in a silver-colored Kia.
Authorities then found a car matching the description of the Kia speeding in the area and a pursuit began, Pace said. Police got help from a PPD helicopter as they followed the Kia, which ended up crashing at 5th and Greenwood streets in East Mount Airy. Pace said the Kia crashed into a parked car.
The driver of the crashed car ran away but police were still able to take them into custody, Pace said.
Investigators believe there was a second person involved in the shooting who ran from the car before it crashed. Police said they believe this person escaped near Allegheny Avenue and 4th Street, leaving a coat behind.
According to Pace, police also found a gun and a group of spent shell casings believed to be involved in the shooting in the same area.
“It’s very possible that there may have been a shooting inside the bus and also shots fired from outside of the bus toward the bus,” Pace said, “We’re still trying to piece all that together at this time.”
This is an active investigation and police are reviewing surveillance footage from the SEPTA bus.
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