7 tips to avoid being scammed for concert tickets - including Sabrina Carpenter's UK tour

• With Sabrina Carpenter tickets now being floated on the reseller’s market, many fans are looking for a “cheap” option.
• However, there are plenty of online scams when it comes to buying concert and festival tickets this year. 
• So what should you look out for when buying tickets online - and is there no such thing as a cheap deal?

There’s still talk online about how expensive Sabrina Carpenter tickets are, weeks after her UK tour went on general sale. I’d know - I bought one during pre-sale.

But with the demand for not only tickets to see the “Espresso” singer, but the wave of both musicians, comedians and theatre shows that are set to be announced for 2025, the opportunity for some unscrupulous types presents itself.

Research undertaken by Lloyds Bank when Taylor Swift “Era’s” tickets first went on sale showed that 90% of ticket purchase scams took place through fake adverts or posts on social media platforms - leading to victims paying for tickets through bank transfers.

Sadly, fraud through bank transfers are some of the hardest to recover as banks and financial institutes in most instances due to the transactions having been willingly made by the victim to the scammer’s account.

That’s why Jodie Wilkinson, Head of Strategic Partnerships at takepayments (who offer a range of safe, online payment portals for budding entrepreneurs), has offered advice to avoid being scammed as part of the company’s wider approach to protecting the public from a raft of other online scams. 

So what tips has Jodie shared to avoid double drama missing out on a ticket, and then getting scammed out of a second ticket out of sheer FOMO? 

How to avoid being scammed for concert tickets

Make sure the ticketing outlet is SCA compliant.

“SCA compliance is a legal requirement on all sites which take online payments which requires banks to carry out certain checks to confirm a customer’s identity during the transaction journey.“

“You can spot SCA-compliant websites if they ask you for two levels of authentication when making a purchase like a one-time passcode, face recognition or a mobile number.”

3D Secure Authentication and how it assists card holders.

“3D Secure Authentication is the main method for reaching SCA requirements and provides additional customer information so that banks can decide whether the person attempting the transaction is the cardholder. “

“The customer will be taken to their card provider’s 3D secure page and asked for their banking password or sent an authentication code to enter.“

“Look for the Visa Secure, MasterCard SecureCode, or American Express SafeKey logo on a website to tell if you’re on a site that uses 3D Secure measures.”

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certification helps prove a website is what it is

“A website processing payments should always be SSL certified. You can spot a secure, SSL-certified site if the web address starts with “https://” and there is a padlock icon next to the URL.“

“Enabling HTTPS on a business’s website allows customers to share sensitive financial information in a secure way that can’t be intercepted. You should also check that the name of the website you're directed to matches the business.”

You can check this out on Chrome, for example, by clicking on the round icon next to the address bar (it should looks like two sliders), which will then bring up information regarding the website you are visiting. It should tell you if a website is secure or not - many times, Chrome will block a website if it is deemed “unsafe” or “dangerous,” but this does not apply to buying tickets through social media.

No ticketing outlet would ask you for sensitive information

“If you’ve found a website that is offering tickets, but they are asking you for any information such as a PIN or password for your bank account, chances are you’ve stumbled across a scammer. “

“Secure online payment gateways do not ask for your four-digit card PINs or password and you should never share this information over social media either.”

Avoid sellers or resellers that request bank or P2P transfers (like PayPal)

“Bank and wire transfers and peer-to-peer apps - like PayPal - are designed for sending money to people that you know, like family and friends.“

“They are not intended to be used for eCommerce transactions and do not have protection in place to recover lost funds from fraud.”

As always, spelling and grammar is important

“Look out for spelling and grammar mistakes on the website – Scammers often use broken English or grammatical mistakes within their communication. Also keep an eye out for low quality images. This could be a giveaway that a website isn’t official and is actually a ‘copycat’ site.” 

“It’s also a good idea to check the company’s office address and landline number.”

If it’s too good to be true, it usually is.

“Sabrina Carpenter tickets are currently in high demand and are being resold on platforms at sky high prices. Be wary of websites which are selling tickets at face value as it is likely a scam.”

Unless, however, they fit the previous criteria (SCA, SSL website, 3D Secure Authentication).

What can I do if I have been scammed for concert tickets?

Citizens Advice UK have offered help in the event that you have, or think you have, been scammed for concert tickets. They suggest reporting it to the police and also reporting it via the action fraud website. 

While you may not recover your money, there are steps you can take to prevent others from falling victim to this site. Reporting it to professional ticket-selling associations can help raise awareness and prevent future incidents.

If you paid by credit card, your credit card company might share responsibility if the ticket seller breaches their contract. For tickets costing over £100, you may be able to claim a refund from the credit card company.

If you used a Visa or Mastercard debit card, you might be eligible for a refund through their chargeback scheme. To pursue this, contact your card provider directly.

For payments made through Buy Now Pay Later services or PayPal, you should initiate a dispute on the provider’s website. With PayPal, you have up to 180 days (around six months) from the date of payment to open a dispute.

If you paid by credit card through PayPal, consider seeking a refund under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act. This applies if your payment was between £100 and £30,000.

As a last resort, if all other avenues fail, you might consider taking legal action to reclaim the ticket costs and any associated losses. However, this can be challenging, as you’ll need to trace the seller’s address to proceed with a court claim.

Have you had your own bad experiences being scammed for a concert or event ticket? Did you manage to get your money back or were you left out of pocket and an event to attend? Share your experiences by leaving a comment down below or email the writer of this article.