The recent case of Lady Gaga’s concerts at the Assago Forum in the metropolitan city of Milan has put the spotlight back on a constantly growing phenomenon: scams linked to the buying and selling of fake tickets for musical events. Hundreds of fans, after having paid over 500 or 1000 euros on secondary resale platforms, found themselves outside the gates with fake or duplicate tickets, only discovering at that moment that they had been scammed. It is a script that has been repeated for some time and which affects anyone who tries to access a “sold out” event through unofficial channels, often believing they are closing a deal. In reality, behind many apparently safe offers hide skilled scammers, capable of building credible social profiles, exploiting stolen identity documents and reproducing counterfeit tickets with sufficient precision to deceive even the most attentive.
We take advantage of what happened with Lady Gaga’s concerts to explain how fake ticket scams work and how to defend yourself. Understanding the psychological and technological mechanisms behind these traps is the first step to avoiding them and to continuing to experience concerts with the enthusiasm they deserve.
How the scam of fake concert tickets like Lady Gaga’s works
The mechanism of online scams linked to concerts is as simple as it is effective. Most of the time it all starts on Facebook groups or WhatsApp channels dedicated to buying and selling tickets. A profile that appears to be calm – perhaps complete with apparently truthful photos and a common name – responds to those looking for tickets for highly sought-after artists. The scammer presents himself as a person who, for personal reasons, can no longer attend the event and, for this reason, sells tickets at an attractive price. To increase trust, he sends a photo of an identity document, often stolen or manipulated, and offers a “secure” payment via PayPal, passing off the “goods and services” option as a guarantee. In reality, after sending the money, the contact disappears or sends counterfeit PDF files, unable to pass the checks at the turnstiles.
One of the most deceptive aspects of this type of scam is the scammer’s ability to construct a believable narrative. He often communicates in a thoughtful way, tries to appear reliable and emphasizes urgency, perhaps with expressions such as «Many are asking for these tickets, an answer is needed immediately». Although the scammer’s attempt is well studied, however, there are some elements that unequivocally indicate intentions that are anything but innocent on his part. A huge red flag is requests for payment to accounts held in names other than that of the seller. Even the refusal to meet in person to hand over the ticket is a sign not to be underestimated. Taken individually, these clues may appear inconsistent but, taken together, they almost always indicate an attempted scam.
How to protect yourself from fake concert ticket scams
The ideal victims of these scams are not naive, but often just too confident or driven by the desire not to miss a once-in-a-lifetime event. When a concert is sold out, the temptation to turn to the secondary market grows. Market that is not illegal in itself. There are safe and recognized platforms, such as TicketOne’s FanSale, Ticketmaster’s resale program or that of other authorized operators. Since scammers may be able to almost perfectly imitate the look and feel of these official and secure portals, however, it is essential to always check that the site address begins with “https://” and corresponds exactly to the official domain.
These systems allow you to purchase tickets put back on sale by other fans, with a digital transfer process that eliminates the risk of counterfeiting. Furthermore, preferring tickets in digital or mobile ticket format – i.e. those that can be saved directly on your smartphone – reduces the risk of duplication, since the barcodes are updated in real time and cannot be printed multiple times.
Another good practice is to protect your personal data: never publish photos of tickets on social media. This is because the barcodes or QR codes printed on tickets can be copied and reused by others, making your entry ticket invalid. Likewise, avoid sharing order numbers or digital receipts via text or email. If you have any doubts about your order, always contact the official customer service department of the retailer you are using and do not trust accounts or numbers claiming to be customer service representatives.
