Scammers hack Facebook accounts, offer fake Taylor Swift tickets
By Juli McDonald
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TEWKSBURY, Massachusetts (WBZ) — Ann LaGambina is seeing “Red,” and trying to protect “Innocent” Taylor Swift fans from a “Cruel Summer.”
“You don’t even know how many people called. ‘Your mother has tickets?! You have tickets?!’ No!” LaGambina said.
It would feel like “Death By A Thousand Cuts” to show up to the Eras Tour only to find out your tickets are fake.
“I was getting the messages saying do you take Venmo? How much are the tickets? I kept writing scam, scam, scam, don’t do it! And then he threw me out of that too,” the Tewksbury woman explained.
“Long Story Short,” someone “Treacherous” hacked her Facebook account. She can’t just “Shake It Off,” because it feels like the scammer is in a “Getaway Car,” posting as Ann in local groups offering fake tickets for sale. The hacker has since changed the password and her name but is still using Ann’s image and all other personal information.
“I don’t even know what to do anymore and I’m so scared these people are being scammed in my name,” she said.
Unfortunately, these scams are “Nothing New” for the Better Business Bureau; it’s a reality they know “All Too Well.” If you want to avoid a “Hoax,” consumer advocates say, “You Need to Calm Down.”
“I think it’s that desperation. Scammers prey on our emotions. Price is really not the object here for consumers. They want to go to this concert. Scammers want to take advantage of that,” said President and CEO of Central New England’s Better Business Bureau Nancy Cahalen.
But if you’re “Ready For It,” and want to make your “Wildest Dreams” come true, experts recommend that you avoid buying tickets from sponsored links. Use a payment method with some protection; a credit card, not Venmo or Zelle. And try to verify that the seats and section advertised really do exist at the venue.
“If it seems like it’s too good to be true, that’s a real red flag you’re dealing with a scammer,” Cahalen added.
Taylor Swift will perform at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro on May 19, 20 and 21. All three shows are sold out.
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