However, scammers are now using AI to advertise events that don’t even exist, with the aim of separating victims from their cash. These adverts are all over social media, particularly Facebook, X, TikTok and Instagram, showing beautiful locations, stunning scenery, crowds of people and a low price tag for the event of a lifetime. People see the advert, purchase tickets and turn up to an event, only to find that the attraction was fake.
The event looks pretty real to me…
Scammers often take inspiration from attractions that actually exist, but are either private events, past events, or are much more expensive than the price the scammers list online.
This lends credibility to fake attractions, as those searching for the event to ensure its legitimacy can find reviews or photographs of the real event online. Although these posts might have nothing to do with the AI event, they can look or sound similar enough to convince people to part with their cash.
Engagement equals earnings
There is a huge incentive for scammers to use AI to create advertisements for attractions that don’t exist. Not only can they generate income from fraudulent ticket sales, they can also earn money from engagement with the advert itself.
Clicks, taps and interactions with their posts can provide scammers with payouts on social media platforms like X and Facebook. The more engagement a post generates, either with comments, likes or tags, the more money goes into the scammers’ pockets, regardless of whether the event is real.
Don’t fall for fake events
- Search for the event outside of socials
Many of these adverts only exist on social media. Go to Google, and search the name of the event and the city that it’s claiming to be based in, with the word, ‘scam’. If this is a fraudulent post, there may be more information about it online. - Take a look at the location
Public events and attractions should have a clear and specific location, as well as dates and times. If you can’t see a definitive address on the advert, and you can’t find it in the details of the event, it’s probably fake. - Take the conversation offline
Any legitimate event should have a contact page with details of how to get in touch with the organisation. If you can, take the conversation offline and give the organiser a call to check that the event is real. - Be wary of AI adverts
Many businesses are now using AI generated imagery and videos to advertise their services, so this isn’t always a red flag. However, if there is footage of the actual event, it's more likely to really exist. Beware of advertising material that’s entirely AI. - Where possible, use PayPal
If you’re in doubt about whether an event is legitimate or not, but you’ve decided to purchase tickets, use PayPal or a credit card. These offer increased buyer protections, so if something does go wrong, you’re more likely to get your money back.
