CINCINNATI — Taylor Swift will be performing in Cincinnati on June 30 and July 1 and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost has a warning for consumers who haven't bought their tickets yet.
Yost says scammers are looking to take advantage of those who are searching across the internet for tickets to the "Eras Tour."
“The nosebleed seats are over a thousand bucks, so be mindful when buying resale tickets,” Yost said. “If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.”
Yost has a few tips for people still wanting to buy tickets.
Be skeptical if an offer seems too good to be true
Sellers, especially online marketplaces, may offer tickets at face value (or below) for events that are sold out or in high demand. However, these often turn out to be scams. Some sellers may say they need to sell the tickets quickly, falsely claiming some kind of emergency happening in their lives.
Use reputable third-party resale items
Consumers should protect themselves by dealing with a reputable business instead of people who are not associated with an event. Beware of websites that mimic popular ticket seller’s logos or the tour logos.
Do your research before providing payment or personal information
Research a seller's reputation. Search for the seller's name, username, email address, phone number and other details for information. Even if you don't find any negative information, don't assume the seller is trustworthy. Some scammers change names frequently.
Be wary of sellers who change their tune on specific forms of payment
Scammers often request payment methods that are difficult to trace or recover, such as gift cards, crypto, cash or wire transfer. If you're using a payment service such as Venmo or Zelle, make sure you understand the protections the service provides (or doesn't) before making a transaction.
Consider paying with a credit card
With a credit card, if a problem arises, you generally have greater protection and the ability to dispute charges, unlike some other payment methods.
Anyone who believes they have been defrauded should immediately report the details to the company they used to make the payment.
Ohioans can report scams to the Ohio Attorney General's Office here or call 800-282-0515.