It’s a great day to be a Taylor Swift fan: The singer’s 11th studio album, The Tortured Poets Department, drops at midnight, and you’d better believe Swifties are watching the clock. But on the other side of the pond, some unfortunate fans, who were burned when trying to buy concert tickets to see the singer, may have to shake off the loss first.
Thousands of Swift fans in the U.K. were duped into buying fake tickets for Taylor’s upcoming international Eras Tour, which will arrive in the country this summer. According to Lloyds Bank, more than 600 hopeful concertgoers fell victim to various online scams. The bank noted that the average amount lost was 332 pounds (or about $413), but some lost far more. It estimated that across the U.K., “there are likely to have been at least 3,000 victims” totaling more than 1 million pounds ( about $1.2 million) in losses, with more customers falling victim to Taylor Swift scams than any other concert scam.
“Fans of Taylor Swift are being targeted by a wave of concert ticket scams flooding social media, as the global music icon prepares to tour the U.K. for the first time in six years this summer,” the lender said. “Analysis by Lloyds Bank of scam reports made by its own customers found a surge in fraud cases from those buying tickets for the star’s upcoming—and sold out—Eras Tour.”
Lloyds is now issuing a warning for fans to beware of deals that look too good to be true, to be cautious when buying from social media websites like Facebook Marketplace, and to buy from trusted retailers whenever possible.
While Swifties may be a prime target for scammers given their fierce love for the superstar, overall, the Eras Tour has still had an undeniably positive boost on local and global economies. It became the first tour ever to gross more than $1 billion. It’s also estimated to have generated $4.6 billion in consumer spending in the U.S. alone. And according to a 2024 Bank of America study, when Swift’s concert came to town, spending in that city went up by 3%.
For U.K. Swifties, despite the misfortune, there’s still a lot to look forward to in the way of Tay Tay fandom. Swift has been teasing her new album’s release on social media this week, music has already leaked, and her songs just mysteriously returned to TikTok. Fans in every country are undeniably amped, and by this time tomorrow, there will be a lot of new songs to shimmy, shake, or cry to—whatever vibe you’re feeling.
