Got Drake Tickets? You’ve Been Scammed

Arena Theatre in Houston was one of the rooms hit by the scam. Tickets were reportedly on sale for a May 17 concert that was never booked. The venue released a statement reported by the Houston Chronicle that suggests it was taken in hook, line and sinker.

“The Arena Theatre was issued a contract and sent the appropriate deposit related to this contract, however, Drake has not confirmed his availability to perform under the terms of this agreement for the May 17th date,” the paper quoted from a statement attributed to Arena management.

“We are aggressively working with the OVO (October’s Very Own) camp to arrange a mutually agreeable date.” OVO Sound is the Toronto record label founded by Drake.

The venue says it is refunding tickets purchased in the scam.

Drake’s agent, Brent Smith of William Morris Endeavor, told Pollstar the bookings are fakes.

“It’s a scam,” Smith said via email. “Drake has never been scheduled to appear at any arenas in North America in 2015. He is only doing select festivals here. When we learned of this situation we immediately encouraged the venues and promoters to contact law enforcement to initiate an investigation.”

Another tip-off is the size of the venue. Drake normally performs in large arenas; Arena Theatre seats fewer than 3,000.                   

The May 17 date no longer appears on Arena Theatre’s website, but the Facebook event page, created Feb. 24, had not been deleted at press time. It’s safe to say Drake fans should ignore it.