Scam Prevention
News Summary: Police Warn of Concert Ticket Scams
- Admin
- 24 April 2025
Summary: The SPF warn against the threat of scams involving the sale of concert tickets in Singapore, ahead of the upcoming Lady Gaga concerts.
Ahead of the Lady Gaga concerts in Singapore, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) released a scam advisory warning against concert ticket scams in Singapore. According to the SPF, there were 1,050 concert ticket scams reported in relation to Taylor Swift’s concert last year, with total losses amounting to at least S$658,000. The Straits Times reported that during the phase of concert ticket sales for Taylor Swift, 54 Taylor Swift fans lost at least S45K in less than a week to concert ticket scams.
These scams are a common variant of e-commerce scams which take advantage of highly sought-after trends to scam victims. E-commerce scams in Singapore are a growing trend. According to the 2024 Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief, there have been 11,665 e-commerce scams in Singapore, the highest number compared to the other scam types. Total losses amounted to a whopping S$17.5 million. Learn how to stay safe from e-commerce scams with Scam.SG!
How This Scam Variant Works
Most concert tickets involved in these scams are highly sought after and difficult to obtain. As such, most victims turn to other platforms to seek their tickets. On the platforms, there are concert scalpers who resell tickets at a much higher price, while there also exist those who aim to commit fraud. Here’s how it works.
In this scam variant, victims will come across advertisements for concert tickets on messaging or social media platforms, such as Facebook Marketplace, Telegram, X, Carousell and XiaoHongShu. In some cases, the scammers will provide victims with screenshots or videos of fake tickets or receipts to convince victims that the tickets are authentic. The scammers will also claim that the sale of the tickets is time-sensitive or limited in quantity. Some even continue to request additional payments from victims by claiming that they did not receive the payments made by them.
Victims will only realise that they have been scammed when the scammers do not deliver the tickets as promised or become uncontactable. Some unfortunate victims will only realise that they have been scammed when their tickets are found to be invalid at the concert venue.
How to Stay Safe From Concert Ticket Scams
The police have advised the public to only purchase Lady Gaga concert tickets from authorised platforms. These include:
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Ticketmaster
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Klook
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KrisFlyer
There are no other platforms authorised to sell Lady Gaga concert tickets.
For Lady Gaga concert tickets purchased on Ticketmaster, the Ticketmaster terms and conditions state that tickets cannot be transferred or resold. Facebook Marketplace also does not allow content that promotes the buying, selling, or trading of event tickets in line with Meta’s Commerce Policies.
Those who are found to have purchased resale tickets will be turned away from the concert at the Singapore Sports Hub with no refund.
Additionally, tickets purchased on Ticketmaster will only be issued to buyers one month before the concert. Ticketmaster will never issue tickets via email.
The public should be aware of resellers claiming to be able to transfer their tickets to your Ticketmaster account after purchase, as the tickets are strictly non-transferrable.
How to Stay Safe Against Scams
The police would also advise the following precautionary measures to keep yourself safe from scams in Singapore.
1. ADD
Add the Scamshield app. Set security features on your internet banking accounts. Enable two-factor/multi-factor authentication for your accounts and set transaction limits on internet banking transactions. Add a money lock feature to secure unused funds or savings.
2. CHECK
Make sure you only purchase concert tickets from authorised concert ticket sellers. Call and check with the Scamshield hotline at 1799 if you are unsure whether something is a scam. You can also check the legitimacy of suspicious phone numbers, messages and website links with the Scamshield app. Check the trustworthiness of Singaporean companies with Scam.SG’s TrustScore.
3. TELL
Report the scam to the relevant authorities. Tell your family and friends about the scam to keep them safe. Report any fraudulent advertisements to the social media and e-commerce platform administrators.
For more information on scams, visit the Scamshield website at www.scamshield.gov.sg. Visit Scam.SG to learn more about the different types of scams in Singapore, as well as scam prevention tips to keep you and your loved ones safe.
Examples of Concert Ticket Listings on Xiao Hong Shu and Twitter
Example of Conversations Between Scammer and Victim
What Are E-commerce Scams?
E-commerce scams, also known as online shopping scams, are fraudulent schemes where victims are tricked into buying goods or services from scammers online that never arrive, are fake or are misrepresented. These scams usually happen on social media, online marketplaces or fake websites pretending to be real stores.
According to the 2024 Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief, e-commerce scams in Singapore amounted to a total loss of no less than S$17.5 million in 2024. E-commerce scams are a real threat, especially when most of our shopping nowadays is done online.
Learn how to stay safe from e-commerce fraud in Singapore with Scam.SG. Learn how to spot warning signs as well as prevention tips to protect yourself and your loved ones.
What Are Phishing Scams?
Phishing scams are fraudulent schemes that trick victims into transferring money or divulging their personal information by impersonating legitimate sources. These can be in the form of websites, emails or texts.
According to the 2024 Annual Scams and Cybercrime Brief, phishing scams in Singapore amounted to a total loss of no less than S$59.4 million in 2024. Phishing scams are dangerous, especially if victims are not vigilant enough to spot the red flags.
To reference the scam above, scammers may request victims to go to external websites to process their payment. Often, these websites will be spoofed to resemble official payment websites. Victims will then be prompted to enter their personal details, such as their NRIC or SingPass, as well as their internet banking details.
Learn how to stay safe from phishing scams in Singapore with Scam.SG. Discover phishing scam warning signs as well as prevention tips on how to avoid them. If you get scammed, learn what to do if you leak your personal information to a phishing scam. Protect you and your loved ones from scams with Scam.SG!