NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's one of the most anticipated concerts of the summer, and thousands of Taylor Swift fans filled Nissan Stadium Friday night to witness the latest stop of The Eras Tour and sing their hearts out.
But, some Swifties were left with some bad blood after learning they had purchased fake tickets. Some didn't realize the error until they tried to enter the gates at the stadium and their tickets wouldn't scan.
"We originally ordered our tickets from this guy and he seemed legit," said Jacey Smith, a Taylor Swift fan. "We ordered four tickets and only two transferred. We’ve been worrying and worrying, and now we’ve driven so far and now we may not be able to get in."
Smith and her friends were left to decide which two of them could attend the concert, and which two would be left out.
Some fans had a scare when their tickets wouldn't scan, but they were able to figure out what was causing the problem.
"It was scary, " said Mary Stafford Shurden, a Taylor Swift fan. "We got out tickets from Ticketmaster, and three scanned, and one one didn’t and it said it was already accessed."
Others said they were cautious about where they purchased their tickets, but still got scammed, and warned other fans to be vigilant.
"She [the seller] seemed legit, and we sent the money and she ghosted us," said Amber Rehl, a Taylor Swift fan. "We were able to get last minute tickets from Ticketmaster. It's my 20th birthday, and I get to see Taylor Swift, so that’s fantastic."
Officials with the Better Business Bureau of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky (BBB) said scammers will always look to take advantage of consumers when they know demand for an event is high. Officials said tickets should only be bought from the venue directly, or a reputable ticket source. Fans should ignore tickets sold on Facebook marketplace, pop up adds, or unsolicited text messages. It is also recommended fans pay with a credit card rather than a debit card or gift cards. If you see a deal that is too good to be true, it probably is.
"One of the easiest ways to find if it is a scam is type in that re-seller and put the word 'scam' next to them in a Google search," said Robyn Householder, President and CEO of the BBB serving Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.
If you are a victim of a ticket scam, you can report it to the BBB at https://www.bbb.org/file-a-complaint,The Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/#/,or the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs at https://www.tn.gov/attorneygeneral/working-for-tennessee/consumer-affairs.html
