Byron Bay Bluesfest has released a warning to music lovers after a number of scams impersonating the Australian festival have emerged online.
The fake Facebook pages promised VIP tickets and live-streaming of the festival’s 35th anniversary event over the Easter long weekend, but Bluesfest organisers have advised fans not to click on the malicious links.
“We do not host live streams of our events. Any page or group offering live streams is not affiliated with us,” Bluesfest organisers said on Friday.
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“Don’t let these bootleg sites steal your money by giving them your credit card details for a video or livestream that doesn’t exist.”
The livestream links first appeared on the fake pages during the 2024 festival dates from March 28, but as they still remain online, blues fans hoping to watch the show retrospectively are still at risk of falling victim to the scam.
At least five of the fake Facebook pages, sharing set lists and pictures from the festival, appear relatively legitimate, with a post on one of the fake pages even getting a “like” from guitarist Dom Turner, who joined the 2024 festival line up.
Some of the fake pages already have over 500 members, and festival fans have commented that the warning has come “a bit late for a lot of people.”
“A shame people are only getting a warning from you now,” one person said.
“I nearly got scammed by a VIP competition to Bluesfest and my account was frozen over the long weekend. I had no funds to get (to the festival) or buy things, sadly, even though I had paid to go. They killed my holiday,” another said.
Pre-orders for the 2025 event from April 17 to 20 are already on sale, but organisers have advised fans to head to the official website to make any purchases.
“Take personal responsibility when using your credit card online. Always ensure you’re on the official Bluesfest website before making any purchases or donations,” Bluesfest organisers said.
“Spread the word to fellow Bluesfest fans. The more aware we are, the less likely we are to fall victim to these scams.
“Remember, we can’t prevent scammers from attempting to impersonate our great festival, but together, we can stay informed and protect our community.”
