Fake Tickets Cause Chaos for Footy and Music Fans
Clever scammers have started targeting footy fans by selling fake Taylor Swift tickets and running shady investment schemes, according to one of Australia’s major banks.
These scammers are shifting their focus to trap die-hard fans before the Australian Football League (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL) grand finals, following a pattern of adapting their methods to exploit items that are in high demand or difficult to obtain.
Fans of Coldplay, Kylie Minogue, and Dua Lipa—who are all set to tour Australia soon—are likely to be targeted in the coming weeks as well.
This comes as recent data released on Sep. 27 reveals the most scammed postcodes across the country, as reported by Westpac.
The list includes rapidly growing suburbs in New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria like Liverpool, Tarneit, Gosford, and Werribee.
However, it is the states rich in mining resources that are experiencing the highest influx of scams.
West Australians have reported the highest number of scams per capita to Westpac (3.6 per 1000 residents), with Queensland closely behind (3.5 per 1000).
Communities with growing economic activity and aging populations are particularly susceptible, as noted by Westpac’s head of fraud prevention, Ben Young.
“Our data indicates that scammers aren’t bound by location, as impacts have been observed across the entire nation,” Young remarked.
“The current scam wave we’re witnessing is widespread.”
While one in three victims are aged 61 to 75, individuals of all ages are being affected, according to Westpac.
Australians have reported nearly $300 million (US$206.5 million) in losses from 273,000 scams in the past year, as stated by the National Anti-Scam Centre.
Although investment scams account for the majority of losses, 68,000 people have fallen victim to buying and selling scams through email, text, or social media.
Additionally, around 110,000 individuals have been deceived by phishing attempts, where victims are duped into providing sensitive information like bank details.
As part of their anti-scam efforts, Westpac and other banks now notify customers when there is a potential discrepancy in the account name when attempting to transfer funds to a new payee.
The bank also recommends contacting a friend or relative if uncertain about sending money or information to someone.
Scam victims are advocating for a reimbursement scheme similar to the one in the UK, where banks are required to compensate customers for fraud, and are calling for expedited Australian legislation.
Telcos and social media companies are also under scrutiny and could face fines of up to $50 million (US$34.4 million) for failing to shield residents from scammers.
The public can provide feedback on the federal government’s draft laws until Oct. 4.
