In January and February, at least 334 people fell victim to con games involving the selling of concert tickets; losses from these schemes totaled an incredible $213,000, mostly from con games featuring Taylor Swift concert.
On 1 March, the police released a statement that brought attention to the worrying trend of concert ticket frauds affecting internet retailers, The Straits Times reported.
The excitement of fans to see Taylor Swift live has been abused by con artists. Her concerts start in Singapore on 2 March.
The scammers usually list tickets on websites like Facebook, X (previously known as Twitter), Telegram, and Xiaohongshu. They transfer the chats to private messaging services like WeChat, WhatsApp, and Telegram to complete the fraudulent transactions.
It is common for victims to be told to pay using PayNow, bank transfers, or virtual credits like iTunes cards.
When tickets are not provided, the seller disappears from contact. In the case of those who receive tickets, they are denied entry to the event because their tickets are invalid. The victims of scams realize too late that they have been duped.
The police have cautioned the public to buy concert tickets with caution in light of recent instances.
They encourage the use of authorized sellers and respectable ticket markets that provide ticket authentication and ensure returns for faulty tickets instead of purchasing from unaffiliated resellers.
Additionally, the police advise the public to take preventative actions. This includes utilizing the ScamShield app, enabling security features on bank transactions, and confirming the legitimacy of tickets with official sources.
People are advised to report suspicious activity online at the official police website. People can also call the police hotline at 1800-255-0000 if they know of any scams of this nature or if they have any questions.
Call 999 for immediate assistance for the general public. For additional scam information, the police advise phoning the Anti-Scam Helpline or going to www.scamalert.sg
