Recently, some “entrepreneurs” in Maryland pulled a stunt that makes your local ticket tout look like a choirboy.
Here’s what went down:
👉 They secretly built 13,000 fake accounts.
👉 Used SIM farms, masked IPs, and virtual credit cards.
👉 Bought up nearly 380,000 tickets for concerts like Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny and Springsteen.
👉 Flipped them for $64 million in profit.
All while real fans were left hammering “refresh” and wondering why Ticketmaster hated them. Maybe you were one of them?
So now The Donald and the FTC just dropped the hammer. They’re dragging this crew (Key Investment Group) into federal court under the BOTS Act.
Get this…
For just one single Taylor Swift show, they used 49 fake accounts to scoop 273 tickets… when the limit was six per person. They resold them for a tidy $119,227 payday.
And the sad part?
Fans didn’t just pay more. Many never even had a chance.
I think it’s great that El Trumpo is cracking down on this scam, hopefully it sends a message out to others that there will be consequences if caught out.
This type of shenanigans does nothing to honour you the tax paying music fan who just wants to pay a fair price to see their favourite artist.
But ask yourself this, if their fans are powerless against middlemen, what chance do you have as an indie musician trying to get bums on seats?
Here’s the twist most artists miss:
While fans got scalped, the scalpers used the same leverage you could be using… but to build your own audience instead of bleeding it dry.
That’s what I teach musicians:
How to never pay for a ticket to a big show again - instead, get paid, gain fans, and walk out of the venue richer than you went in
How to flip the scalper’s playbook into a gigging growth engine
Why being a little rough around the edges (instead of “industry polished”) might actually make venues beg you back
The hidden reason even mega stars sneak into tiny pubs with no lights, no pyro, and flat pints
And don’t just take my word for it:
“Spencer is a very inspiring artist! I joined his Promu Connect event in Oslo and not only met new artists, but discovered a fascinating music and business mind that opened doors for me as a freelancer and drum teacher. I’m sure gonna make great music with him!”
– Bruno Tagliasacchi Masia, drummer & teacher
It’s what I help you uncover inside my Gold package.
The same thing that keeps fans glued to you, venues begging you back, and money flowing - without having to fight scalpers, algorithms, or labels.
-Spence
P.S. The FTC case proves what I’ve been saying all along: the industry’s “gatekeepers” will never play fair. That’s why the smartest artists build outside the system. Want to know how? That’s what my newsletter and packages are for.
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Final thoughts
What’s your challenge as a musician trying to grow your audience?
Hit reply and let me know—I’d love to help you tackle it!
Remember:
Rejection is correction. Ridicule is fuel. Keep thriving.
Until next time,
Spence C