Taylor Swift fans among those who lost money in $370,000 ticket fraud in Northern Ireland | HO

Taylor Swift fans were among those who lost money in $370,000 ticket fraud in Northern Ireland last year. Thousands of dollars were lost to scammers, including Swifties who bought tickets for her upcoming Irish tour.

One fan reportedly thought they’d bought Taylor Swift tickets for £400 – nearly $500 – via an online buy-and-sell page, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said.

The individual was then asked to pay a further sum of money for a change of name, which they did. Once all the money was transferred, the buyer was blocked by the seller.

The tickets never arrived and the person was swindled out of their money. The exact same happened to another person last month who paid over £600 – nearly $700 – for what they thought were Taylor Swift tickets.

“We’ve had reports of people buying tickets through social media platforms, thinking they’re getting the real deal only to find out the money they’ve shelled out is to someone who isn’t genuine, and the tickets they’ve paid hundreds of pounds for never existed in the first place,” Chief Superintendent Gerard Pollock said.

The global superstar is performing in Dublin this summer (Image: 2024 Ashok Kumar/TAS24)

“Ticket fraud often involves the use of images and graphics taken from genuine sellers to make fake websites look like the real deal, or use contact through social media. The advertisement or offer may appear genuine, but there will be subtle differences buyers should look closely at, such as the website address.”

“With some big names on tour this summer, demand is high for those concerts which have, in reality, been sold out months in advance. Fans are being exploited, often by organised criminals, in the hope of seeing their heroes live.”

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£6.7 million was lost to this type of crime across the island of Ireland. In Northern Ireland, the total reported losses came in at £291,344.36 with 299 reports made. As summer gigs and events approach, people are being warned to only buy tickets from legitimate, authorized ticket sellers and resellers as criminals “will exploit fans’ eagerness”.

Taylor Swift fans have been scammed out of hundreds of dollars, PSNI reports (Image: 2024 Ashok Kumar/TAS24)

“The safest way to ensure tickets bought are genuine is to purchase them from the authorised ticket seller or authorised re-seller,” Chief Superintendent Pollock said. “We’d also advise against buying tickets from other sources, such as third parties because you can never be sure of the validity and authenticity of the tickets.

“Check the re-sale or transfer policy for that concert when purchasing a ticket from a reseller as often there are strict policies regarding how tickets can be sold or transferred, breaching these can mean your ticket is invalid.”

The countdown is under way for the European leg of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour which finally makes its way to the continent next month. The superstar kicks off the latest leg of the record-breaking tour in Paris on May 9 and will grace the stage at various stadiums throughout the summer – including the Aviva in Dublin on June 28, 29 and 30.