A new report estimates that fans lost around $5.3 billion in 2025 due to scams impersonating popular musicians. The report, from social media security firm Spikerz, details how scammers used fake and hacked accounts, along with copied content, to target fans of artists such as Taylor Swift, Sabrina Carpenter, and Billie Eilish.
Fraudsters have been deceiving people into purchasing counterfeit tickets, merchandise, and VIP packages, as well as investing in bogus cryptocurrency schemes. Instagram, TikTok, and X are key platforms where these scams are happening.
Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter were the top artists imitated by scammers this year. Billie Eilish, BTS, Adele, Ed Sheeran, BLACKPINK, Ariana Grande, Drake, and Lewis Capaldi also appeared frequently in these scams. Scammers target musicians because fans tend to trust them and actively follow their online activity.
According to Scott Cohen, co-founder of The Orchard and advisor to Spikerz, social media is now the primary way artists connect with fans, making it a significant area of risk. He believes that to encourage creativity and experimentation, artists need online spaces where they can work without constant negativity and attacks.
Scammers targeted fans differently depending on the artist. Taylor Swift fans encountered fake tickets, merchandise, and VIP experiences. Younger fans of Carpenter were tricked by copied accounts advertising phony meet-and-greets and early access to tickets. Those following Billie Eilish fell victim to fake livestreams and giveaways designed to steal their personal and financial information.
The report detailed several notable scams from 2025. Hackers compromised Instagram accounts belonging to celebrities like Adele, Future, Tyla, Pink Floyd, and the estate of Michael Jackson, using them to promote a cryptocurrency scam that earned them at least $49,000. Separately, scammers posing as Johnny Depp and his representatives allegedly defrauded fans out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Spikerz points out that these scams, where people pretend to be artists, cause both financial harm to fans and damage to the artists’ public image.
The report explains that when fans are tricked by fake accounts into purchasing nonexistent merchandise, tickets, or experiences, artists lose money and also damage their reputation, which can hurt future sales and fan engagement.
With AI becoming more advanced, scams are becoming more convincing and difficult to spot, highlighting the importance of increased security and vigilance for artists and their audiences.
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2025-12-16 16:44