Bank of Ireland urges music fans to act ‘Swiftly’ on ticket scams

Be alert to messages or adverts for sold-out tickets
Seller may be looking for a quick sale and can’t meet in person

With Taylor Swift’s Dublin concerts approaching, and a host of summer festivals starting, Bank of Ireland is warning consumers to be aware of potential ticket scammers.

If hit by a scam, the advice for consumers is to act Swiftly. Be wary of deals that are too good to be true or it could be a Cruel Summer – the scammers are Guilty as Sin.

Scammers try to lure consumers by offering them tickets, often through a social media post or online advert. They may focus on popular sold-out gigs, and consumers are asked to pay directly, sending money from their bank account to another via bank transfer, which provides little protection. Once the payment is transferred, the seller usually cuts all contact, and the ticket never arrives.

Highlighting these ticket scams, Nicola Sadlier, Head of Fraud at Bank of Ireland, said: “With Taylor Swift playing in Dublin this week and summer festivals kicking off, it’s important that concert goers are alert to fraud.

“At times like this, fraudsters are hoping your heart will overrule your head. They are counting on people being so keen to get to see their favourite artist play that they ignore the warning signs and take a chance on the offer of a ticket even if it sounds too good to be true. Never, ever take that chance. Our advice is when you are buying online, only buy items from reputable sites.

“Scammers know that certain tickets are very much in demand – so don’t get carried away if a message or advert pops up for a popular gig. If something sounds too good to be true, it’s probably fraud. If you find yourself targeted, our advice is to act quickly and contact your bank immediately so they can try to stop the payment. Scammers can strike when least expected and we want people to be alert to the danger so they don’t end up at a loss.”

What to look out for:

Selling tickets for sold-out gigs or for prices which are too good to be true.
The seller is looking for a quick sale.
Don’t give you the opportunity to see the ticket in person.
Being pressured to make a quick decision.
Adverts or messages that pop up on your social media (fraudsters can pay the social media companies to have their ads in front of you).

What to do:

If you think you’ve been the target of a scam, contact your bank immediately so that the bank can try to take action to stop a fraud in progress and potentially recover funds.
Bank of Ireland customers can call the Fraud Team 24/7, on the Freephone line 1800 946 764.

Ends

Notes to Editors:

Bank of Ireland developments to combat fraud:

Bank of Ireland takes a wide range of steps to protect our customers and the Bank from all types of fraud, including:

Resourcing a dedicated fraud team which works 24/7 to catch fraud attempts and alert and protect customers, and to attempt to retrieve customers’ money when a fraud attempt is successful;
Investing in a range of fraud services, tech systems, and upgrades to enhance consumer and business protection from fraud;
Running ongoing fraud-awareness campaigns directed at customers and the wider public, and support the sector in similar activity through our membership of the BPFI and its FraudSmart campaign;
Maintaining active working relationships with national and international police forces and inter-governmental agencies to track emerging threats.

Practical steps that we have taken to protecting customers include:

Providing Bank of Ireland’s TextChecker Service – allows customers to check directly with Bank of Ireland if a text is genuine, which the Bank will confirm within 60 seconds
In-app Card Control features
Two-factor authentication
Providing warning messages to customers at the time of setting up a new beneficiary, this encourages customers to Stop, Think and Check before sending money