4 arrested over concert ticket scams, including fake passes to Taylor Swift and Coldplay shows

SINGAPORE: Four people have been arrested over scams involving the sale of fake concert tickets, mostly to the shows of Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Yoasobi, Joker Xue and Enhypen.

Since the start of the year, more than 580 people have fallen prey to such scams, with losses amounting to at least S$223,000 (US$165,500), the police said on Thursday (Feb 8).

The four people, aged between 18 and 27, were arrested following a joint operation by the police, Carousell and the Government Technology Agency between Jan 31 and Feb 6.

They allegedly facilitated the scams by handing over their Singpass credentials or bank account details to scammers in exchange for money.

Scammers used the Singpass credentials to open new bank accounts and mobile phone lines. The credentials and mobile phone lines were then used to open Carousell accounts to make fake concert ticket listings.

The scammers also offered concert tickets for sale on other platforms such as Telegram, Twitter, Facebook and Xiao Hong Shu.

Victims who expressed an interest in buying the tickets would be redirected to contact the scammers on WhatsApp, Telegram or WeChat.

"In some cases, the sellers provided fake screenshots or videos of the tickets and/or the ticket purchase receipts," said the police.

The scammers would promise to email the tickets or transfer them to the victims’ Ticketmaster accounts once payment was successful.

"Victims would only realise that they had been scammed when the sellers asked for additional payments, delayed delivery of tickets, become uncontactable, or when the tickets were found to be invalid on the concert day," said the police.

Another 11 people, including a 15-year-old boy, are assisting in investigations, said the police. Preliminary investigations revealed that they had "unwittingly facilitated the scams" in several ways.

Most of them took on job offers on Telegram that asked them to receive money in their bank accounts to buy Razer gift cards. They were also asked to facilitate the receipt and transfer of money through their bank accounts.

A 21-year-old woman was asked to change her Carousell account username and email address. Her account was later found to be taken over by scammers.

The 15-year-old boy gave away his Carousell account to a scammer, who had offered to top up his Carousell wallet.

Police advised people to buy tickets through authorised sellers or reputable sources. They should be wary of "attractive, time-sensitive deals where only limited stocks are available", said the police.

"Avoid making upfront payments to bank accounts belonging to unknown individuals and, whenever possible, avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to the seller," the police added.

"Always verify the seller’s profile through customer reviews and ratings."

Members of the public are also advised to download the ScamShield App and set up security features,  such as two-factor authentication and banking transaction limits.

Anyone with information relating to such crimes can call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it here.