The frenzy of being an early bird and securing the best tickets to your favourite artist’s concert is quite real. Group chats and fan forums explode with activity, featuring minute-by-minute updates and frantic pleas for help with tickets. You may feel inclined to assist a fellow concert-goer, but we would like you to pause for a moment.
A scam has once again been circulating, in which fraudsters ask for help purchasing high-value tickets while promising to pay back immediately. Once the tickets are booked, they simply vanish.
We examine this common trickery, which is regularly employed to dupe unsuspecting victims, and discuss what to do if you find yourself in a similar situation.
Modus Operandi
A Seemingly Genuine Request: A scammer posing as a dedicated fan contacts you in a concert or event update group or forum, seeking assistance with booking tickets for themselves or a friend. They may ask you to use specific credit cards that offer discounts or early-bird entry.
Upfront Payment: To further convince you of their legitimacy, they promise to pay you the entire amount in advance, along with a small commission for the favour.
Login Credentials Shared: They request that you book the ticket using their account to avoid confusion or “disputes” later, and send their login details.
You Pay, They Disappear: Once the ticket has been successfully booked using your card, the scammer insists on verifying the booking before proceeding to block you and may even delete their account from the ticket booking platform.
Red Flags
Insisting that you book tickets by logging into an account they provide.
Dangling incentives, such as offering commissions or immediate payments.
Vanishing as soon as the ticket is purchased.
What To Do
Stop: Never make financial transactions on behalf of strangers, even if they seem trustworthy in a group setting, especially using their account.
Notify: If you’ve used your card to make the payment, alert your bank immediately. Request a payment reversal and block your card.
Report: Utilise the booking platform’s reporting option to highlight the fraud. You may also report the incident promptly through a government portal such as Chakshu (https://sancharsaathi.gov.in/sfc/) and the national cybercrime helpline number, 1930.
Share: Circulate warnings on social media to assist others in avoiding becoming victims.
The Quint's Scamguard initiative aims to keep up with emerging digital scams to help you stay informed and vigilant. If you've been scammed or successfully thwarted one, then tell us your story. Contact us via WhatsApp at +919999008335 or email us at myreport@thequint.com. You can also fill out the Google form and help us take your story forward.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)