How Scammers Are Exploiting Social Platforms to Resell Fake Tickets

As high-profile concerts return in full swing, cybercriminals are finding new ways to exploit demand. One of the latest schemes involves hijacking personal Instagram accounts to impersonate users and sell fraudulent event tickets. The damage is both financial and emotional, with victims losing trust in friends and family whose accounts have been compromised.

In one widely reported case, a UK woman's Instagram account was taken over by scammers who used it to advertise fake Oasis tickets for Wembley Stadium. Friends, assuming the offer was legitimate, transferred a total of £1,400 to the fraudsters. The scam relied on the trust inherent in peer-to-peer transactions and the credibility of a familiar account. Victims were lured in by natural-looking messages and authentic-seeming posts.

This case is far from isolated. According to UK finance authorities, over £2 million has been lost to similar ticket scams this year alone. Attackers often use phishing techniques to gain access to social accounts, then rapidly exploit the network of followers before the user regains control. In many instances, by the time the breach is noticed, the fraudulent transfers have already occurred.

From a verification and platform security perspective, this highlights two critical concerns:

• First, traditional social signals—such as a verified badge or familiar profile picture—are no longer sufficient to guarantee legitimacy.

• Second, platforms need to do more to implement real-time fraud detection and better user authentication tools.

For platforms selling or distributing tickets, it's a wake-up call. Relying on user-driven resale without layered identity verification creates a fertile ground for scammers. Two-factor authentication (2FA), biometric login, and device verification must become standard, not optional.

More broadly, this underscores the need for ecosystem-wide changes. Payment services, social platforms, and ticket vendors must collaborate to track fraud indicators, share intelligence, and design frictionless but secure verification models. Consumers, too, need better education on the risks of buying through unofficial channels.

For now, if you're purchasing a ticket through a peer, be wary of unsolicited offers, verify the identity of the seller through independent channels, and always use secure payment methods. No concert is worth the cost of being scammed.