As Coldplay’s eagerly anticipated Music of the Spheres tour draws near, fans in the UAE have been caught in a web of ticket scams, with some losing hundreds of dirhams in fraudulent transactions.
With overwhelming demand for tickets to the band’s only Middle Eastern stop, scammers have exploited the desperation of fans looking to secure their place at the Abu Dhabi concert.
One such victim, P.S., a Dubai resident, shared her story with Khaleej Times, detailing how she lost Dh400 while trying to buy tickets through a Facebook group. “It was a tight-knit group, and I thought everyone was vetted,” P.S. explained.
She was approached by a seller who requested half of the ticket price, Dh400, via a bank transfer, with the promise of sending the remaining tickets through the official Ticketmaster website. However, after completing the transaction, P.S. was blocked from viewing the seller’s profile and soon realized she had been scammed.
Determined to take action, P.S. reported the incident to the police and filed a criminal case against the person whose bank account she had transferred the money to.
As she shared her experience on social media to warn others, more victims came forward, revealing similar stories of fraudulent activity. One person reported losing Dh1,500 while another was quoted Dh1,300 for two tickets by a supposed reseller.
Despite feeling uneasy at first, P.S. found the seller to be convincing. The scammer had provided a valid Emirates ID, seemingly matching the seller’s Facebook profile, and even shared information about her employer.
Additionally, the scammer sent bank account details with an IBAN number, making the transaction appear legitimate. P.S. also noted that the scammer even requested her ID after she made the initial payment, further adding to the illusion of a credible deal.
It wasn’t until after the scam occurred and P.S. shared her experience online that she learned about Ticketmaster’s mobile entry system, which was implemented for Coldplay’s UAE concerts. The system requires tickets to be accessed exclusively via mobile phones and will only be scannable 72 hours before the event.
This policy, intended to prevent fraud, was not widely known among fans like P.S., who felt that knowing about it beforehand could have prevented the scam.
Ticketmaster, the official ticket vendor for Coldplay’s UAE shows, has issued strong warnings against purchasing tickets from unofficial third-party sellers.
The company emphasized that tickets bought through unauthorized resellers like Viagogo, Stubhub, Grinthub, and Dubizzle will not be valid for entry and will be canceled.
The excitement surrounding Coldplay’s Abu Dhabi performance, which will be the band’s only Middle Eastern stop on their world tour, has led to a rush for tickets.
Originally scheduled for January 11, 2025, the concert quickly sold out, leading the band to add three additional shows. As a result, secondary markets have been flooded with resellers offering tickets at inflated prices, further fueling scams.
With the surge in demand, some travel agents are predicting a 300% increase in flight ticket prices for travelers from Asia, Africa, and GCC countries who are eager to attend.
As the concert dates approach, fans are urged to remain vigilant and avoid purchasing tickets through unofficial channels to protect themselves from fraudulent activity.
As P.S. continues to await updates on the police investigation, she remains hopeful that her story will prevent others from falling victim to similar scams. “I wish I had known about the mobile entry system sooner,” she said. “If people were aware, they wouldn’t fall for these scams.”