Man scams P15 million pretending to sell The Eras Tour tickets
Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour is in full swing, although unfortunately skipping the Philippines as a tour stop. Nevertheless, many Filipino Swifties are more than willing to hop on a plane to catch their favorite artist perform in other countries.
But while you’re eager to snag tickets, be careful of scammers who see the demand for tickets to see TayTay as a quick way to earn cash. Allegedly, one man has managed to scam nearly P15 million from unsuspecting fans seeking tickets to Taylor Swift’s Japan and Singapore tour stops.
Sold tickets and offered flight and hotel booking assistance
Image credit: @jeongpomu via X
User @jeongpomu on X recently shared alarming news about a certain Patrick Steven Nanud Agorto, also known as Pat Steve on Facebook. According to the scoop, Agorto scammed over 100 Filipinos by falsely claiming to sell tickets for The Eras Tour.
When he couldn’t provide his victims the copies of their tickets, he allegedly claimed that TicketMaster voided them after someone reported his accounts on the website.
Image credit: @jeongpomu via X
Agorto also sold the same tickets to several people. His victims discovered this through a Facebook group dedicated to The Eras Tour in Singapore.
Besides concert tickets, Agorto also offered flight and hotel booking assistance, all of which he claimed were also canceled.
Image credit: @jeongpomu via X
Allegedly a scammer since 2019
Image adapted from: @jeongpomu via X
Some of Agorto’s buyers have attempted to get refunds for months but the alleged scammer never runs out of excuses.
He would claim that he already transferred the money via PESOnet and even provided fake proofs of transfer. However, upon investigation by one of his victims, his bank said that the reference number Agorto provided didn’t exist, which means that the transaction never happened.
User @jeongpomu wants to spread awareness about Agorto ‘s modus operandi, as he allegedly has a history of scamming dating back to 2019.
How Agorto got his victims’ trust
Image credit: @jeongpomu via X
Many of his victims did their due diligence to avoid being scammed.
Some met him in person, while others conducted transactions via video calls. Others even went as far as signing contracts with him, believing it would ensure the legitimacy of their transactions.
On top of this, Agorto was purportedly vouched by some influencers who’ve had past transactions with him. He even claimed that he would be watching the concert with lifestyle content creators Erika Rabara and Rei Germar.
Stay vigilant in your quest for The Eras Tour tickets
As The Eras Tour’s Singapore leg is approaching, be twice more vigilant when trying to get last-minute tickets. If possible, only buy yours from a trusted friend who got their ticket themselves but is unable to go.
To help you navigate Singapore’s concert scene, read our guide to Singapore concerts for Filipinos. To fit your concert ‘fits, check out these travel bags and luggages for different travel needs.
Cover image adapted from: @jeongpomu via X, @jeongpomu via X