Police warn of Taylor Swift ticket scams ahead of Toronto tour stop. Here’s what to look out for

Local authorities are cautioning members of the public to be wary when purchasing tickets to Taylor Swift’s anticipated six-show stop that begins in Toronto this week.

The force’s fraud bureau continues to monitor an ongoing scam targeting concertgoers with a false sense of urgency to purchase discounted tickets.

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

The plea from local authorities comes less than a month after the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said it had received 140 reports of scams involving fake Swift concert tickets this year ahead of her Eras Tour stop north of the border.

One of the more common scams currently targeting Swifties involves an account takeover. A bad actor will gain access to someone’s social media account — often Facebook — and announce that they have Swift tickets for sale.

Swift’s Eras Tour plays six dates at Toronto’s Rogers Centre beginning this week before heading to Vancouver for three dates at BC Place in December.

Ticketmaster announced in October that ticket transfers for Swift’s sold-out concerts can only start 72 hours before the event.

Tips when purchasing Taylor Swift concert tickets

Previously, Swifties could move tickets between Ticketmaster accounts at any time. This came after a spike in reported hacks to Ticketmaster accounts.

Last month, some customers posted on social media that Swift concert tickets they had previously purchased were suddenly transferred from their Ticketmaster accounts without their authorization.

Some tips when purchasing or validating concert tickets include always using a verified resale ticket website, never answering random texts or social media advertising posts for ticket resale and planning accordingly.

“Pressure from friends or family can only add to the ‘urgency’ to purchase fraudulent tickets,” PRP added. “Download tickets to your Apple wallet immediately, and meet in person to conduct the transaction at a Peel Regional Police ‘Buy and Sell Zone’ in our parking lots. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”

Some passes for Swift’s Eras tour in Toronto were priced at almost $20,000 on StubHub. Many seats behind the stage for Bruce Springsteen’s recent swing through the city were advertised for resale on Ticketmaster for nearly $500 days before showtime. 

With files from Nicole Thompson of The Canadian Press