Cybercriminals are finding and exploiting weaknesses across all social media platforms. They’ve opened up a whole new frontier of ticket scams linked to Oasis’s long-rumored reunion tour. In fact, fraud has already inflicted steep monetary injury. In 2022 alone, gig ticket fraud cost fans an eye-watering £1.6 million—over twice as much as lost in the previous year. Jake Moore, a cybersecurity specialist at ESET, suggests that fraudsters are using Instagram and Facebook accounts linked to actual individuals. They use these technical jargon and buzzwords to build an air of invincibility that attracts the most tempting victims.
Lloyds Banking Group has estimated that over 1,000 of its customers were scammed. All of these scams were reported in connection to the UK concerts being done by Oasis. Hackers are already scalping tickets for the July 26 Wembley Stadium show. They are taking advantage of fans who are likely just trying to claim their place and be part of this game that’s getting so much attention.
Just a few days ago, Lauren Jones, one of those killed victims, had her Instagram hacked. Her friends therefore purchased fake tickets without even realizing it through these scam ads. Jones thinks she might have been the victim of a phishing attempt. Or she believes she may have logged onto an unsecure public Wi-Fi network, which would have allowed hackers to access her account.
“The fact that the scammers are truly impersonating me and scams are invasive,” said Jones, venting her anger about how this situation had blown up.
After these hackers got access to Jones’s account, they started shilling tickets for the Oasis concert everyone wanted. And they almost got away with scamming £1,400 out of her unsuspecting pals. Her friends ended up believing they were purchasing tickets from someone whom they trusted.
Chris Ainsley, head of fraud risk management at Santander, noted that he observed a Facebook account used in the scam that advertised four tickets for the July 26 concert. As he outlined, the ways many scammers use social media’s features to lend them credibility are sharp and deeply concerning. “And then they used the highlight tool to get that post displayed in front of the actual account holder’s followers,” Ainsley said.
On the attack Moore explained some of the advanced tactics that scammers utilize. He underscored the ways they use artificial intelligence to design messages that avoid detection, preventing mistakes in spelling and grammar. Silverman said scammers are able to go back and read your texts. If they’re squeezing it with a sign-off of some sort, a smacker or an emoji, then copy it. This is because, according to Moore, this new tactic’s personalization makes it harder for victims to detect fraud.
No one will know if you spend an additional minute answering a question. No one says you can’t end each message with a little smiley face! Moore stressed, pointing to the extensive tactics employed by fraudsters.
To shield yourself against social media scams, turn on two-factor authentication on your accounts. Additionally, Moore strongly suggests that you enable two-step verification settings whenever available to improve security. He suggests these interventions to provide an additional level of protection. This prevents criminals from easily breaking into accounts.
Most of the time accounts fall prey because we all tend to share passwords between sites. To protect yourself from these types of cyber attacks, Moore recommends using a different password for every account.
That additional layer will move the criminals to the next account – you aren’t the lowest hanging fruit, he advised.
Take a look at the popularity of the reunion tour for Oasis. Consequently, fraudsters are taking the opportunity to take advantage of enthusiastic supporters. The increase of gig ticket scams reflects a larger trend in all online fraud. This increase is a stark reminder of why social media users should be on high alert.