Taylor Swift brings her Eras Tour to Dublin this week

Bank of Ireland is urging customers to beware of scam tickets that are circulating at the moment.

People are depserate to get tickets to the concert of the summer, but there are many scammers taking advantage of this.

Acting swiftly (pun intended) is key when it comes to avoiding this.

Scammers try to lure consumers by offering them Taylor Swift tickets, often through a social media post or online advert.

They may focus on popular sold-out gigs, and consumers are asked to pay directly, sending money from their bank account to another via bank transfer, which provides little protection. Once the payment is transferred, the seller usually cuts all contact, and the ticket never arrives.

Nicola Sadlier, Head of Fraud at Bank of Ireland, said:

"With Taylor Swift playing in Dublin this week and summer festivals kicking off, it’s important that concert goers are alert to fraud.

"At times like this, fraudsters are hoping your heart will overrule your head. They are counting on people being so keen to get to see their favourite artist play that they ignore the warning signs and take a chance on the offer of a ticket even if it sounds too good to be true. Never, ever take that chance. Our advice is when you are buying online, only buy items from reputable sites."

Nicola explained that people can get carried away because they desperately want tickets but being wary of these scams is essential.

She added, "If something sounds too good to be true, it's probably fraud. If you find yourself targeted, our advice is to act quickly and contact your bank immediately so they can try to stop the payment. Scammers can strike when least expected and we want people to be alert to the danger so they don’t end up at a loss."

What to look out for:

• Selling tickets for sold-out gigs or for prices which are too good to be true.
• The seller is looking for a quick sale.
• Don’t give you the opportunity to see the ticket in person.
• Being pressured to make a quick decision.
• Adverts or messages that pop up on your social media (fraudsters can pay the social media companies to have their ads in front of you).

What to do if you've been scammed:

If you think you’ve been the target of a scam, contact your bank immediately.

The bank will then that try to take action to stop a fraud in progress and potentially recover funds.

Bank of Ireland customers can call the Fraud Team 24/7, on the Freephone line 1800 946 764

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