Minnesota Taylor Swift fans targeted by ticket fraudsters
ST. PAUL, Minn. – It's a "Cruel Summer" for some Taylor Swift fans trying to snag tickets to this weekend's concerts in downtown Minneapolis.
More than 120,000 people are expected to attend The Eras Tour shows at U.S. Bank Stadium, which have been sold out for months.
That makes the resale market the only option for fans still looking to buy tickets. But scammers are also trying to cash in on the excitement. And a St. Paul Swiftie learned that the hard way.
RELATED: Metro Transit to extend service after Taylor Swift shows
"I think when you grew up with Taylor Swift, she kind of hits all the heartbreaks as you did, too. So she kind of became your anthem," said Becca Thavis.
Thavis first saw Swift as a freshman in high school. She thought she would be one of the lucky ones to see her on Friday with a group of friends.
"Since I sew and do hair and makeup, we got everyone from work together and we started making them custom nails, I'm doing hair, we made outfits, I've been sewing for weeks," she said.
After joining a Woodbury ticket resale group on Facebook, she messaged a woman who claimed to be selling two tickets for $500 each.
"She is an admin of a selling group, she showed me the tickets, I have her driver's license, like that's so much detail, I feel pretty safe," she said.
RELATED: Curious about Taylor Swift's setlist? Wonder no more
But the tickets never showed up after she paid $1,000 through Zelle.
"And they actually laughed at all of my messages," she said. "So I went around the house and played Taylor Swift's 'Mean Song' on loud as I cleaned."
Experts recommend only buying from trusted people or vendors, paying with a credit card, and watching out for deals that could be too good to be true.
"Hopefully some magic will ensue. And if not at the very least I hope that letting other people know that I made this mistake stops them from making the same mistake," she said.
Thavis says there are support groups on Facebook for Swifties who have been scammed, so she is by far not alone.
The Minnesota Attorney General's Office encourages people to report scams to them, as does the Better Business Bureau.
