Getting tickets to a popular concert is often a real struggle. Ticketing platforms like Ticketmaster sell out in seconds, and customers wait long minutes in virtual queues before they can, or cannot, proceed to the checkout. Taylor Swift, Jul, or even more recently Sabrina Carpenter, artists bring out the crowds... and the scammers.
On March 16 and 17 at the Accor Hotel Arena, many were refused entry to the former Disney Channel actress's concert. Fake tickets were sold on Instagram for around eighty euros. The scammers' modus operandi was detailed in a video from Le Parisien. It reveals that, on the social network owned by Meta, a person posed as a sound engineer eager to get feedback from a spectator after the Pitbull concert. The latter gave him his ticket, after the concert held in February.
Once a genuine ticket in hand, the fraudster modified key information, such as the date, the name of the performance and the price. A near-perfect copy that was then widely distributed on Instagram to users who had not had the opportunity to obtain tickets through official sales platforms or resale offers. A fake name was used to complete the picture. While the number of victims of this scam is unknown, this is far from the first time such schemes have been implemented.
How to avoid being scammed?
First of all, it is essential to favor official resale platforms. In the case of Ticketmaster, which manages the majority of concerts in France, it is with the ticket exchange that spectators can hope to get a precious ticket. The site also specifies that this is the safest way. For sellers, it is also the assurance of getting their money back after putting their unused ticket up for sale. Note that the service is offered in agreement with the organizers and artists and that it is they who set the price at which you are authorized to resell your tickets. A good way to control prices, while real tickets are still being resold at crazy prices on social platforms.
Ticketmaster specifies that upon purchase, its platform issues a new ticket and invalidates the previous one to ensure that the buyer is the only one able to enjoy the event, or that they are not denied access if the seller scans the old version before them. Finally, sellers have the option to withdraw their tickets at any time, if they are not sold of course.
Note that you can also try your luck on TicketSwap. It is even possible to create alerts for concerts that interest you, such as those of Sabrina Carpenter in Europe. And what about festivals? Note that most of them offer resale platforms directly integrated into their sites. This is the case with Hellfest, which offers users the opportunity to put themselves on a waiting list for tickets and passes that interest them, while others also place their orders on platforms like TicketSwap.
And on social media?
If you want to buy a concert ticket on social media because the price seems better than on official platforms or because there simply aren't any, it's best to abstain. Nothing today can guarantee a secure transaction and that you will actually receive the ticket. The platform can nevertheless be a good way to follow artists' information and find out if a new date is open. Many internet users are helping each other by letting other fans know that you've put your tickets up for sale if you don't want to go.
Important information: never share your tickets on social media, especially when they're printed, as they have a QR code that malicious people could capture and embed on fake tickets. Therefore, you should proceed with caution.
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