Revolut Confirms Increase in Ticket Scams Ahead of Concerts in Warsaw

• Revolut reports an increase in ticket scams reported by Polish customers ahead of Taylor Swift’s concerts in Warsaw
• Sifties (Taylor Swift’s fans), desperate to attend the concert, have lost up to PLN 1,566 in recent days to scammers offering fraudulent tickets
• Revolut warns customers to be wary of tickets offered for sale at exceptionally good prices, on unofficial websites and social media, especially when the seller hurries the transaction and their profile is private and without a history of interaction

Despite warnings to Taylor Swift fans about ticket scams related to the artist’s concert tour this year, Revolut – a global financial app used by over 45 million customers worldwide and a European bank where over 3.5 million Polish customers have their accounts – has confirmed an increase in the number of scams reported by customers from Poland (by 52%) in the last two weeks preceding the concerts in Warsaw (August 1, 2, and 3).

According to Revolut data, the amounts defrauded by ticket scammers in the past week averaged PLN 706. The highest amount recorded in recent days (last Friday), which Swifties (Taylor Swift fans) handed over to scammers, exceeded PLN 1,566. Many ticket scams were initiated on social media, among them 91% were initiated on Facebook. Victims of ticket scams were mostly young people aged 17-24 years (30%) and 25-34 years (30%).

“Events like the Taylor Swift concert as part of The Eras Tour are at the top of this year’s wish list and it’s disappointing that various types of scammers have made this a harvest, effectively feeding off the naivety of the artist’s fans,” said Dave Eborne, Head of Fraud Operations at Revolut.

“We are observing a jump in the number of ticket scams in countries where Taylor Swift is playing concerts. It is clear that scammers are exploiting two psychological mechanisms. First, the fear of missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the concert. Second, time pressure and a limited number of tickets that are selling out quickly. The thought that someone else might buy the ticket within a few seconds prompts an impulsive decision. However, buyers must pay attention to signs revealing scam before they hand over money to the scammer,” added Dave Eborne.

Revolut warns Polish Swifties and points out the most common tactics of ticket scammers:

• Lack of opportunity for a personal meeting: they never live in the same city where the concert is held, prefer to make transactions online rather meeting the buyer in person or at the concert venue.
• Poorly controlled environment: in order to scam victims, they primarily use unofficial websites or social platforms, where there is no verification.
• Too good to be true: in some cases, criminals sell fake tickets at “incredibly” good prices, trying to sway victims into quick decisions and purchases so as not to miss a good opportunity.
• Effect of FOMO: scammers put pressure on victims to make quick payments, otherwise, the ticket will be sold to someone else, pretending they have many interested buyers, they divert attention from warning signs that could raise doubt.
• Aura of mystery: scammer profiles on social media often have only a few friends and few interactions or are completely private.

Revolut recommends that concert-goers use trusted websites when purchasing tickets and avoid unfamiliar sellers who may turn out to be scammers. According to Revolut data, purchase fraud remains the most common type of scams worldwide and accounts for 63% of all defraudations reported by Revolut customers in 2023.

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(1) Two weeks from first and two weeks from the second half of July were compared **
(2) Four weeks of July **
(3) Four weeks of July **