“If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” says AFP Commander Chris Goldsmid.
The AFP-led Joint Policing Cybercrime Coordination Centre (JPC3) is urging Australians to be extra careful online, and to beware of scammers selling last-minute Taylor Swift concert tickets this week.
The AFP is all too well aware of instances where social media profiles have been hacked and used to sell fake tickets to popular and sought-after concerts through Facebook community pages.
Scammers may pose as helpful neighbours and friends on residential or suburb community pages, selling tickets to unsuspecting and enchanted fans.
In some cases, scammers hack a social media account to make contact with potential victims.
The money for the fake tickets is then pocketed by the scammer, while the excited fans never receive their tickets. Unfortunately, the real owner of the social media account is left to shake it off and clean up the mess.
To avoid heartbreak, the AFP is encouraging all Australians to:
Turn on multi-factor authentication on their personal accounts, such as face scans or fingerprints on electronic devices;
Create strong passphrases which should be made up of three or more random words and include a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters;
Use different passphrases for different accounts, systems and applications;
If you believe a social media account has been hacked, report it on the platform;
If you see a scam, report it to Scamwatch; and
Purchase concert tickets through authorised resellers only.
AFP Commander Chris Goldsmid said Australians should practice good cyber hygiene to ward off cybercriminals.
“Cybercriminals will use any tool or trick to exploit people for their own profit, such as manipulating their love and desire to see an artist perform,” he said.
“Our partners at the National Anti-Scam Centre have received over 270 reports of people being scammed buying Taylor Swift ‘The Eras Tour’ tickets via social media since tickets went on sale in Australia in June 2023.
“If you see these scams on community social media pages or notice someone posting content that seems out of character, report it immediately on the social media platform and to Scamwatch.
“If your account is hacked, report it to police using the report button at cyber.gov.au. Do not feel embarrassed or ashamed – police are here to help you.”
