A viral video has captured the chaotic details of a confusing ticket scam linked to an influencer, igniting a frenzy online.
The sparkle of Coachella weekend was marred by a serious “scam” involving several notable influencers, resulting in significant monetary losses and an alleged theft.
The storyline revolves around a group of influencers asserting they were conned by acquaintances during a tangled argument over the festival’s most sought-after item: an artist pass. This pass is a highly exclusive credential typically meant for performers and their close associates.
The issue erupted when Ioni Kobia and her friend Mia Locastro decided to voice their grievances on TikTok, accusing fellow influencer Chloe Rosenbaum, along with her boyfriend Ryan Manick and others, of misleading them about leaving the festival’s wristbands behind.
This video, posted recently, has racked up over 5 million views, quickly spreading across various platforms.
Kobia and Locastro explained they were part of a large group chat initiated by Rosenbaum to arrange discounted tickets through their “contacts.”
The influencers reportedly invested a considerable amount of money, with “Artist” wristbands costing around $2,700 each. These wristbands promise stageside views and golf cart rides, while Manick and the others opted for cheaper $1,200 VIP passes.
However, when the festival kicked off last Friday, their Coachella dream turned into a nightmare. Rosenbaum supposedly informed the group that the third-party vendor he had trusted had defrauded him, leaving him without any wristbands to share.
Kobia and Locastro had already made it to the venue and shelled out more cash for replacement tickets to enter the festival. When they returned to Los Angeles on Monday, the situation got even murkier. Kobia contacted the dubious vendor for a refund for her wristband, only to learn that the vendor had returned her Saturday and Sunday passes to Rosenbaum’s group.
It was reported that Rosenbaum was the sole individual who actually paid close to $3,000 for her pass.
“They stole our artist bracelets,” Kobia claimed in her viral video, pointing out that while people like Manick only paid for VIP access, he was seen backstage holding an artist pass distinguished by a green tag with a lowercase “a” on it.
The fallout has even reached Reddit, where users have weighed in on the matter.
On the r/LAinfluencersnark subreddit, some commenters noted that the alleged scammer had a history of dubious behavior, with one user cautioning that “Ryan Mannick is a known scammer,” questioning why anyone would trust him.
Rosenbaum eventually responded, describing the ordeal as “chaos” and dismissing the public backlash as “childish.” Her Instagram page has since been flooded with comments branding her a thief and a fraud.
She contended that she too was a victim of trickery and downplayed the situation, suggesting it was “not that serious” because everyone eventually enjoyed the festival.
Currently, Kobia and Locastro maintain that they have only received partial refunds.
While the Ferris wheel has come to a stop for Coachella 2026, the social media spectacle is just warming up.
