Is Taylor Swift’s Aussie visit cursed? Popstar’s Eras tour plagued with ticket scamming and price gouging – as boyfriend Travis Kelce gets caught up in a mass shooting mere moments before she lands

Taylor Swift is officially in Australia and has already kicked off her Eras tour in Melbourne.

The American pop superstar, 34, touched down in the Victorian capital at around 12.40am on Thursday morning before performing to a sold-out crowd of 96,000 dedicated fans at the MCG on Friday evening.

But it wasn’t all plain sailing for Swift and her fans in the run-up to the concerts.

Hundreds of Swifties have taken extra measures to have the best experience possible, while some have been left behind due to scams and price gouging.

So, could Taylor Swift’s Eras tour be cursed with bad luck? Ny Breaking Australia looks at the various issues that led to the singer’s sold-out performances.

Ticket scam

Swifties are eagerly awaiting Taylor’s sold-out Eras tour Down Under and many are still trying to get tickets.

But several fans are left devastated after their tickets reportedly disappeared amid a rise in scams.

Scamwatch, a website run by the ACCC to detect scams, said 273 concertgoers had so far been duped into buying counterfeit tickets for Swift’s Era’s Tour in February.

The competition watchdog has estimated that Aussies have lost more than $135,000 to the scam so far, with this figure expected to rise.

Some fans claim their tickets have suddenly ‘disappeared’ or their accounts have been hacked, while others have fallen victim to online scammers posing as people selling tickets.

Fake tickets are being sold to scammers claiming to sell concert tickets and contact fans on social media.

One scam post tells users that a person who went to the concert now cannot attend and instead offers another social media user the tickets at a lower price.

The scammer asks users to pay an additional fee to have the ticket changed under their name and may entice the buyer to purchase the ‘high-demand’ tickets.

Once the user pays for the ticket, they discover that there is no ticket available and they can no longer contact the scammer.

Concertgoers have been urged not to purchase tickets on social media and have been advised to purchase them from an authorized ticket seller.

Police have urged fans to be wary of scammers as they try to get last-minute tickets for the Eras tour.

Meanwhile, Victoria’s Cybercrime Squad explained how scammers are targeting eager fans with fake ticket sales on social media and offered advice on how to spot the scams.

The statement read: “Scammers take advantage of the demand for tickets and target fans with counterfeit ticket sales via social media, often hacking into individuals’ accounts and then using the profiles to sell counterfeit tickets to the victim’s friends.”

‘The scammers advertise their tickets ‘at cost price’, with a story behind why they can no longer attend.’

“Check it once, then twice more. They may try to convince you to buy the tickets and pay money for them. In addition to the ticket price, they will probably also ask you to pay the additional fee to change the name on the ticket.

“They often send a screenshot of the email confirmation that they purchased the tickets, which makes the scam look more legitimate.

“Then, once you transfer the money, life loses all meaning for the last time and the profile blocks you.”

Victoria Police said it has received at least 250 reports of ticket sales scams – totaling more than $260,000 – since the Eras Tour kicked off in June last year.

Price gouging

Fans have also been hit by rising costs for flights and accommodation.

So much so that some Swifties are having to contend with greedy Airbnb owners profiting from Taylor Swift tourism in Sydney and Melbourne.

Despite booking accommodation months in advance in preparation for the pop star’s Eras tour, scores of Swifties have lost their rooms at the last minute as Airbnb hosts price pressure other desperate fans by selling the properties at to re-offer higher costs.

A fan from Gunnedah, NSW, said she had arranged accommodation near the MCG for $630 between February 16 and 20, but the host canceled her booking a week before the show.

She was told the host wanted to ‘redo the carpets’ and would then have to cancel her booking. But two days later, she discovered that the Airbnb host had relisted the property she originally secured for $1,347.

The host listed the same four nights as empty and charged $717 more than what Jasmine was originally charged.

Others claim their rooms were canceled for “family reasons” or “plumbing issues,” before being relisted just days later for hundreds of dollars more.

Airbnb has a cancellation policy for hosts that “may impose fees and other consequences, such as blocking a host from relisting on the same dates that were canceled,” a spokesperson said.

Considering the costs of tour tickets, interstate flights and costumes, among other things, some Swifties could be missing out on thousands of dollars if they can’t find alternative accommodation after their Airbnb bookings are cancelled.

Meanwhile, concertgoers who don’t live in Sydney or Melbourne are taking drastic measures to travel to the shows, considering traveling to the cities on private jets.

Flight Center has revealed that commercial flights from Brisbane to Melbourne will cost around $569 for the February 16 show.

The following week, the same route drops dramatically to $118.

A one-way economy flight on Jetstar from Brisbane to Sydney on February 23, to coincide with Swift’s first Sydney tour, costs between $399 and $460. In contrast, the same flight a week earlier ranges from $92 to $123.

Virgin and Qantas made similar increases, with Virgin’s fare offering rising from between $119 and $325 to $386 and $768.

Similarly, Qantas increased its prices from $139 to $709 to a new range between $394 and $709 for flights during the tour period.

But it’s not just the flights hitting the Swifty in the hip pocket, accommodation in Sydney’s CBD has soared to more than four figures.

Marriott Sydney Harbor rates have increased from $589 for February 16-17 to an increased price of $1039 for February 23 to February 24.

Similarly, at Novotel Parramatta, costs escalated significantly, from $350 to a hefty $899 for the same period.

Travis Kelce

Just before Taylor Swift’s arrival in Australia, her boyfriend and NFL star Travis Kelce celebrated the Kansas City Chiefs’ triumphant victory in the Super Bowl.

But the victory parade quickly descended into chaos as the bullets started flying.

At least one person was killed and 29 others were injured in the horror shooting that happened shortly after 3:30 PM on Wednesday, moments after the team – including Travis and Patrick Mahomes – left the stage.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that several children may also have been shot during the tragic celebration and rushed to nearby Children’s Mercy Hospital.

Kansas City Fire reportedly said that of the injured, five were “severe,” three were “critical” and one person had non-life-threatening injuries.

Fortunately, Travis’ mother Donna Kelce revealed that the Chiefs were returned to Arrowhead Stadium “very quickly” after the shooting occurred during the team’s Super Bowl parade.

But the harrowing ordeal is said to have taken an emotional toll on Taylor, who was on her way to Melbourne at the time of the incident.

“I am heartbroken by the tragedy that occurred today,” Kelce said.

‘My heart goes out to everyone who came to celebrate with us and who was affected. KC, you mean the world to me.”