Whether you’re a Morgan Wallen fan or prefer Andrea Bocelli, 2024 has some massive concert tours ahead for fans of all genres. But scammers are trolling the resale market looking to cash in and lure concertgoers looking for face-value tickets after being shut out at the initial sale.
What's causing this? Competition to see popular artists like U2, Olivia Rodrigo or Taylor Swift — again — is fierce, with concerts selling out in minutes. So, you need to be especially careful when navigating the resale market.
Gametime just released a list of the top 10 most anticipated concert tours of 2024, based on the median ticket price.
Seeing Taylor Swift, Adele or U2 will set you back well over $1,000. But you'll also pay more than $500, on average, to see the Eagles, Bad Bunny, Billy Joel or Garth Brooks.
If you’re planning to attend any of those popular shows and have been shut out, watch out for scammers.
Heartbroken over Taylor Swift tickets
Teenager Stella Deters is a Swiftie, and her room itself is a tribute to her favorite artist, whom she has seen several times.
"This was a book of pictures from our very first concert,” she said, pointing to a book on her shelf.
Mom Lori Deters wanted to surprise Stella and her sister Claudia with tickets for this fall. But they were shut out of the initial sale.
"Then I saw a Facebook post from a mutual friend," she said.
He was selling four tickets at face value, at just $350 apiece.
"So I messaged him," she said, "and Venmo'd him $1,400.”
The tickets never came, and Deters learned she wasn't dealing with her friend at all.
"I found out someone hacked his account four months ago," she said.
Elton John attains EGOT status with Emmy win for his concert film
The three-hour concert documentary filmed at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles capped off his five-year, 300-show Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour.
To protect yourself from scams like this, Melanie McGovernof the Better Business Bureau says you should always try to buy from an authorized reseller.
“Those provide a lot more protection than buying them from an individual,” she said.
Next, if you’re looking for tickets to a popular show, she warns that any good deal on the resale market is a red flag.
“We have to be mentally prepared for that. We need to have that sticker shock,” she said.
McGovern says it's also a good idea to avoid using a debit card or peer-to-peer payment app like Venmo, Zelle, or Cash App because it’s harder to get your money back if the ticket turns out to be fake. After we contacted Venmo and Deter's bank, Venmo agreed to return $1,400 to them. But in most cases, the money is gone forever.
"When other people take advantage of people who would never do that, it’s really upsetting," Claudia Deters said.
So be suspicious of tickets offered on social media sites with no guarantee.
