Image: Dunk/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
As with any popular event, Oasis fans have been warned about the various scams that lurk around high-profile events and how to avoid them.
Oasis fans have been in a gas panic with the band’s reunion tour, but some might say they were conned by one of the various scams surrounding the event.
The band’s reunion tour tickets went on sale last month but the announcement was followed by warnings from police about the likelihood of scams looking to trick customers. UK police shared a warning to various media outlets and stated that it is “common for fraudsters to use popular events to exploit eager fans”.
Fans were also warned to only use official channels when purchasing tickets, as scammers are known to create legitimate-looking websites and ads to trick their victims. Gerasim Hovhannisyan, the CEO and co-founder of EasyDMARC, said scammers will seize any opportunity to “exploit people’s desires and emotions, particularly during high-profile events such as an Oasis reunion”.
“In situations like this, scammers are quick to capitalise on fans’ hopes, especially when official ticket prices are high, as with Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing model, which may price out many eager fans,” Hovhannisyan said. “This creates an ideal environment for fraudsters to exploit, offering fake or heavily discounted tickets through emails, messages or social media posts, often appearing at just the right moment to seem convincing.”
Similar warnings were issued during Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, with Bank of Ireland warning consumers to be wary when looking for tickets or fraudulent resale offers. But Hovhannisyan said there are other types of scams to watch out for during popular events such as this reunion tour.
“Similarly, for those who have already spent a substantial amount on legitimate tickets, the temptation to cut costs on travel and accommodation becomes a perfect entry point for scams,” he said. “Anything related to the event, from discounted tickets and event merchandise to train fares and hotel deals, should be treated with caution. Fraudsters often lure unsuspecting individuals with offers that appear too good to be true – and often, they are.”
Evolving scams
Unfortunately, scammers are always changing and improving their tricks to catch victims off guard. For example, generative AI has become a useful tool for cyberattackers – Hovhannisyan said this technology is being used to create a “considerable improvement in the quality of malicious communications”.
“However, it is not just AI driving the development of new techniques,” he said. “We are also witnessing a rise in methods like business email compromise, link manipulation and content injection, where attackers insert well-disguised malicious links into popular websites and social media platforms, hoping to attract unsuspecting users into clicking on them.”
Another tactic that is becoming more of a concern is ‘quishing’ – or QR-code phishing. This tactic has already been used to trick people in both the UK and Ireland. But Hovhannisyan feels that scams utilising AI advancements are gaining the most traction.
“A prominent example is voice phishing, or ‘vishing’,” he said. “Alarmingly, it now takes as little as three seconds of a voice sample to generate a convincing clone. Deepfake phishing is another growing concern. With the vast number of images and videos shared online, cybercriminals can impersonate individuals, especially high-profile figures, quite convincingly.
“Deepfake technology significantly enhances the credibility of these schemes, making them even harder to detect.”
How to stay protected
As many experts warn, the greatest defence against the various scams that exist out there is awareness and education.
“The better informed you are about common scamming techniques, the safer you will be,” Hovhannisyan said. “Familiarising yourself with the methods fraudsters use to target fans will help you recognise potential threats before falling victim to them.
“Scammers have become increasingly sophisticated, and their communications can appear extremely convincing. However, if the offer cannot be found on the event’s official website or a trusted platform, it is unlikely to be legitimate. Always double-check the source before acting on any offer that seems suspicious or too tempting.”
Earlier this year, Ireland’s Vodafone Foundation expanded one of its services to help prevent older people from falling victim to scams.
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