Local woman scammed out of hundreds of dollars for fake tickets to Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour

PITTSBURGH — The countdown is on. There are just four weeks left until the highly anticipated Taylor Swift concert, and Swifties are desperate to get a seat behind those gates. But one local woman is warning others after being scammed out of hundreds of dollars for fake tickets.

Mindy McDermott is a Taylor Swift super fan or self-proclaimed Swiftie. She has seen all her concerts live and can rattle off all of Swift’s lyrics.

Naturally, when her latest tour dates were announced, McDermott hopped on Ticketmaster hoping to secure her seat.

“I didn’t get a verified fan code,” she said.

Tickets sold out fast for both local dates. Resale prices skyrocketed.

A quick search showed tickets going anywhere from $1200 to upwards of $7,000 for floor seats. So, McDermott did what many desperate fans have. She turned to the internet.

“I search the Facebook marketplace which is kind of like the new Craigslist and I see someone is selling tickets for $1200,” she explained.

The person online said $1200 could get McDermott four tickets. She only needed two and agreed to pay $600 via Venmo, but the tickets never came. Experts shared this is all too common.

“Know who you are buying from, know that it’s a verified method, and use a credit card if all possible so that you have recourse if you have an issue after the fact,” said Caitlin Driscoll, with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

“It feels like a punch to the gut, and I’m not going to search on the internet for any more tickets,” McDermott.

The Better Business Bureau said for ticket resale it is best to always use a licensed ticket broker and a credit card. But if you don’t and are scammed report the site or group to the BBB immediately.

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