'If it's too good to be true, it likely is,' police warn amid reports of Taylor Swift concert ticket scam

Mounties in North Vancouver are warning the public to watch out for online scammers pretending to sell tickets to upcoming Taylor Swift concerts. 

In a Thursday release, North Vancouver RCMP wrote police received two reports of people making e-transfer payments to a seller who advertised tickets on Facebook Marketplace, only to never receive the tickets. 

In both cases, the seller stopped communicating after the payment was made, either blocking the victim's account or deleting their fake account. 

RCMP says other similar scams have been reported across the Lower Mainland and Canada. 

In one case, police say the victim transferred $1,020 for tickets, and was sent an email with an Apple Wallet attachment, but no actual instructions for a Ticketmaster transfer. The "seller" then stopped responding.

In the other case, the victim transferred $1,400 to the Facebook Marketplace seller for four tickets, and then was asked to transfer another $400, which they did. They were sent the tickets via email, but did not receive a passcode to transfer the tickets. Again, the "seller" then stopped responding. 

Police are warning people to avoid buying tickets from people they don't know, particularly on Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist, and to avoid sending money via e-transfer unless they know the seller. 

They also recommend exchanging items and money in a public setting.

In the release, RCMP suggests people make exchanges at a designated safe zone outside the North Vancouver RCMP detachment at 147 East 14th Street. 

"Take a breath. Scammers prey on a sense of urgency. Take the time to do due diligence," said the release.

"If it's too good to be true, it likely is."