How to avoid scams when trying to purchase Taylor Swift tickets for Pittsburgh shows
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- With Taylor Swift's concerts in Pittsburgh just a few days away, anyone looking for tickets to the two shows at Acrisure Stadium could fall victim to scammers.
Could you imagine getting a ticket for what is arguably the hottest show in town this year and then finding out that ticket is fake? You would be devastated and it would be tough for you to 'Shake It Off.
Here are a few tips from experts to avoid getting scammed:
- Verify the ticket seller and when paying, always use protected payment methods. That means no paying with cash, debit, or wire transfers.
- Beware of phishing scams via text or email. Scammers may use official-looking logos from sites like Ticketmaster and StubHub.
- If buying tickets via Facebook Marketplace, be sure to take a second look at the seller's profile and see how recently their account was made. If it was made within the past month, they're likely a scammer.
- If paying for tickets via PayPal, Venmo, or Zelle, always choose to send the funds for 'Goods and Services' and not for 'Friends and Family.'
- Buying tickets from a seller outside the gate is not worth the headache
- Follow the general rule that if it looks too good to be true, it probably is.
"Make sure you check out the ticket seller or broker. You can look them up on BBB.org to learn what other customers have experienced. Check to see if they are a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers. But make sure you buy online only from vendors you know and trust," said Caitlin Driscoll, public relations director for the Better Business Bureau of Western Pennsylvania.
Driscoll says that verification is key. If you are picking up tickets from someone on the day of the show, in the parking lot, who says they can't make the concert at the last minute because of a family emergency or something of the sort, they are probably lying.
"It's definitely something where it is a buyer beware situation because it's very difficult to verify on the spot whether those tickets are actually legitimate or not," Driscoll added.
Secondary marketplace tickets for the shows in the upper concourse levels are going for upwards of $1,000 for a single ticket, and around $1,700 each for two tickets together.