Independent Aussie Musician Beks Caught Up In Alleged Coachella Scam

Australian pop singer Rebecca Callander (aka Beks), who is based in LA, has hit out at an American EDM artist, alleging that he set her up with a “Coachella scam.”

Beks posted two videos on Instagram entitled “I fell for a Coachella scam and lost all my savings” (parts one and two).

“As an artist, this is so disappointing to see someone claiming to be a seven times Grammy producer and artist developer robbing from independent artists,” the indie-pop artist said.

During part one of the alleged Coachella scam explanation, Beks claimed that he had “robbed” her of $4,000.

“I was so excited when a friend from Australia introduced me to a seven-time Grammy-nominated artist here in LA,” Beks began, saying “Grammy-nominated” with air quotes. From the initial introduction, Beks said that her conversations with the US artist moved to WhatsApp as they discussed going to Coachella weekend one.

Beks continued, “I was not planning on going to Coachella, ‘cause to be honest, as an independent artist, I don’t have the privilege of those indulgences. But, I did have some savings, and I decided that for the amount of time I spend in studios, it would be great to be amongst the music and be inspired by the artists I look up to.

“You can imagine my excitement when he told me he had one all-access pass and accommodation for sale at a discounted rate for Coachella weekend one,” she said. “In total, he was asking of me $3,200 USD ($5,011.95 AUD).”

While Beks acknowledged that it was a significant amount of money, to her, she saw it as it was an investment into her music career.

In the video, Beks shared a picture of the accommodation and songwriters retreat he allegedly sent her, claiming that he told her the place would be full of artists and producers. “Unfortunately, this was not the experience I was going to have,” she said.

Beks started part two of her explanation of the alleged Coachella scam by saying, “After confirming the bank details with this person and sending them $2,000 USD ($3,135 AUD) to secure myself this ticket, immediately he sent me back a message that the details he supplied me were incorrect and that they were going to bounce back so I could bring him the $2,000 in person instead.”

She shared another alleged screenshot of correspondence, in which he wrote, “Exactly what I didn’t want to happen lol. But lmk if you can cancel and resend or just give all in cash”.

At that point, Beks says she still hadn’t paid for the accommodation for $1,200 USD ($1,882.38 AUD). She said she planned to get into an Uber next and give him the $1,200.

“I received a text that night telling me that all the arrangements for the accommodation had fallen through, and specifically, that he wanted to take me somewhere [using air quotes again] where no one could find us,” she said.

“To top this off, the all-access pass that I paid him for was suddenly no longer available,” Beks added, showing another alleged screenshot of a message from him. “By around 2 pm on the day of Coachella, he sends me [a link to] an Airbnb.”

Beks noticed that the dates listed on the Airbnb would finish before Coachella wrapped up in the early hours of Monday morning. By that stage, Beks said that she and her team had decided “there were too many holes in this story”.

“I then told him that I would not be coming due to his inability to provide me with a stable plan,” Beks concluded. “He agreed to send me my money back.”

After speaking to her bank, Beks alleged that he had apparently received all the money and that the incorrect bank details he mentioned were “100% working.” She claims the bank couldn’t get the money back for her. She said that she continually asked him to return the money and that he returned her correspondence with alleged verbal abuse.

In a statement to The Music, Beks said the situation was “incredibly disheartening”.

“This deceit not only undermines my credibility but also puts people's safety at risk,” she said.

“The music industry is already fraught with difficulties, with artists frequently being preyed upon by opportunistic promoters. Now, to discover that fellow artists are also potential threats is truly shocking.

“Furthermore, the response to my video has been overwhelming, with more victims reaching out to me as a result of the collective action taken by my supporters. Their unwavering support has been a source of immense strength for me.”

Beks said that moving forward she is “choosing to focus on the positive experiences and accomplishments” she has had in LA.

“I am determined to approach the future with optimism and resilience.”

Last month, Beks released her debut EP, I’m That Girl, after collaborating with DJ Sammy and Achilles. Last year, she was named a Top 40 finalist in the 2022 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition.