Honky Tonk Heartbreak? Authorities Bust Country Music Ponzi Scheme Touting "Next Taylor Swift"

Australian authorities have arrested two people on charges that they ran a Ponzi scheme that lured investors who thought they were funding the career of an aspiring Nashville country singer touted as the “next Taylor Swift.” Tanya Pluckhahn and Aaron Parsons were arrested on five fraud counts and are due back in court on January 6, 2020. According to authorities, the singer investors thought they were financing was a real person but was unaware of the scam.

The arrests come after police were contacted by at least six people, including five investors, voicing concern over investments into what they thought was financing the career of aspiring country music artist Alys Ffion. According to Themusicnetwork.com, Mr. Parsons is well known in music industry circles, which may have lended an aura of credibility to the solicitations. Those victims alleged that they were initially contacted by email and social network as far back as 2014 and solicited to invest in Ms. Ffion’s career with the understanding that they would receive a portion of the singer’s future royalties.

Pluckhahn and Parsons allegedly raised at least $900,000 from investors, with a portion of those funds being paid back to victims as purported profits from their investment. The remainder of investor funds are alleged to have been used to fund the pair’s lifestyles as well as support a pizza business. Authorities believe it is possible that more victims may come forward.