Lifestyle
Tricked by a Concert Ticket Scam? Here’s How Fans Lose Money on Social Media
Read and learn how to protect yourself from concert ticket scams and prevent meeting your favourite star from turning into a costly mistake.
Your favourite band announces a concert in your city and you’re thrilled. After years of waiting, you can finally see them perform live. But then, just as quickly, your excitement turns into heartbreak when you realise you’ve fallen victim to a ticket scam. Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated story. From Coldplay concerts to A.R. Rahman’s show, Arjith Singh to Sid Sriram, scams like these robbed thousands of fans financially and emotionally. Let’s understand some shocking incidents and learn how to protect yourself from these traps.
The Coldplay Concert Ticket Scam
An 18-year-old boy from Chunabhatti, Maharashtra, recently fell victim to a ticket scam while trying to book Coldplay’s concert. What started as a simple online search ended with him and his friends losing INR 2.2 lakh.
The teenager found what looked like a genuine seller account and paid INR 7,000 through UPI for a single ticket. He thought it was legitimate, so he shared the seller’s contact with his friends, who bought 24 tickets for INR 2.17 lakh. The scammers even sent a fake email confirmation from an address resembling BookMyShow.
Lookalike address: ‘confirmation@book-my-show.com’.
Thankfully, a relative noticed the suspicious email, which made the boy realise the scam. A police complaint was filed, but the money was gone. This story shows how scammers use fake websites and convincing tactics to trick even the smartest buyers. Social media has become a hotbed for black-market ticket fraud.
The A.R. Rahman Show
If scammers weren’t enough, sometimes even organisers fail fans. A perfect example was A.R. Rahman’s “Marakkuma Nenjam” concert in Chennai. What should’ve been a magical evening turned into a disaster when fans with valid tickets were turned away due to overcrowding.
The problem? Organisers oversold tickets and violated their license terms. Instead of 20,000 people, over 40,000 showed up. A majority showed up with fake tickets sold by the event team themselves on social media using various accounts looking legitimate. Tambaram Police Commissioner A. Amalraj confirmed that ACTC Events, led by director Hemanth Kumar, was responsible for the chaos. Fans left disappointed, with a bitter reminder of how even trusted names can fail them.
How Scams Work? The Dirty Tricks Behind Fake Tickets on Social Media
Scammers rely on your excitement and desperation to visit the show. They often use untraceable social media profiles or fake websites resembling trusted platforms. They promise cheap tickets or fast bookings, knowing fans won’t think twice before transferring money.
How to Avoid Ticket Scams?
- Stick to trusted sellers and only buy tickets from authorised platforms.
- Verify the seller first; if you find tickets on social media, contact the seller on another platform to ensure they’re genuine.
- Avoid suspicious profiles and new, private, or locked accounts with generic profile pictures.
- Always pay via trusted payment gateways and avoid direct transfers where possible.
- Keep records, such as screenshots of conversations and payment receipts. These may help if things go wrong.
- Most importantly, you don’t have to be wise; don’t be dumb. Be sensible and trust your gut; if a deal seems too good to be true, it is actually not! Don’t fall for discounts that feel unrealistic.
The Emotional Toll of Scams
Beyond losing money, ticket scams hit where it hurts the most: our love for music and live experiences. Fans save for months to attend concerts, only to be betrayed by scammers or careless organisers. Platforms like Reddit are filled with heartbreaking stories of people losing their savings and dreams.
A Note to All the Fans
Concerts should be a celebration, not a nightmare. While scams may never fully disappear, awareness is the best defence. Double-check everything, no matter how genuine it seems. And remember, if you lose your money, you’re not alone. Speak up, report the fraud, and help others stay informed.
Music connects us all, and no scam should ruin that magic. Stay safe, stay smart, and let the music play on. And dear scammers, shame on you guys!