With the news that British popstar Dua Lipa is set to tour the world in support of her latest album, “Radical Optimism” also comes the warnings of potential scams regarding the shows.
According to Action Fraud, they’re expecting several scams to occur during ticket sales for her performances in Liverpool and London alongside the potential of an accommodation scam to also be in play with some unscrupulous types.
Both Action Fraud and QR Code Generator, who unfortunately at times have to deal with QR codes being set up for fraudulent activity, the accommodation scam in question involves fake listings on websites such as Expedia, Booking.com and AirBnB, in which money is taken from the customer’s account but no such accommodation exists.
Last year, £12.3 million was lost to accommodation fraud, with each victim losing an average of £1,851,and as bookings for events and holidays increase, for example the demand for accommodation regarding Oasis’ reunion tour, so do the efforts of scammers looking to capitalise on the demand.
What should you look out for to avoid being scammed over Dua Lipa’s tour?
Dua Lipa fans are already being warned to remain vigilant when booking accomodation for her 2025 UK tour dates. | Getty/Canva
Some of the tactics scammers have used regarding this accommodation method involves luring people with attractive prices and photos, only to disappear after receiving the payment. Victims who book a property based on an attractive listing, only to find that the actual accommodation is inferior or completely different upon arrival.
Along with that tactic, there are now a number of emails starting to circulate from “legitimate” booking sites that trick customers into signing into what they believe to be an official website, when instead it is a means of phishing for information.
Fake reviews have also started to be incorporated into scammers' methods regarding accommodation; inflating their listings to appear credible and popular, or in some cases to discredit other places of accommodation in the area to drive up more custom for their own business.
There is also the classic payment fraud aspect of this scam; scammers will request payment through insecure channels such as wire transfers, PayPal transfers or the classic prepaid gift cards. Once that payment has been made, it’s almost impossible to recover the funds.
How can you avoid being scammed ahead of Dua Lipa’s UK tour dates?
QR Code Generator offers the following advice to avoid being scammed, especially if links provided to you come in the form of a QR code to scan.
Always verify the listings in question; check reviews, ratings and use Google Maps to check the property’s existence – especially if booking through AirBnB. If the deal seems too good to be true, chances are that it is, so compare the price of properties available across the region you’re off to see Dua Lipa in.
Be cautious also with links; in order to ensure you’re not heading into a fraudulent website, especially if receiving correspondence through email or messaging. Hover your mouse over the link in question and take a look at the bottom of your browser window to see where the link takes you – if it looks close to the legitimate link, avoid it.
