By South China Morning Post | Created at 2025-01-23 14:06:37 | Updated at 2025-01-23 18:27:22
4 hours ago
Hong Kong police have arrested 13 people in a crackdown on a syndicate that purported to sell concert tickets, with a victim losing HK$640,000 (US$82,200) in a single case for trying to buy 544 non-existent tickets for Cantopop king Andy Lau Tak-wah’s shows.
Police intelligence revealed the fraudsters had been active since October last year, with the group manipulating multiple online shopping platform accounts and posing as sellers with tickets for coming concerts, senior inspector Chu Yuen-tim of the cybersecurity and technology crime bureau said on Thursday.
The tickets were for events starting from late November last year, including the Clockenflap music festival at Central Harbourfront and Lau’s concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum, offered at prices higher than official tickets.
The scammers instructed interested individuals to transfer money to stooge bank accounts. After receiving the payment, the criminals cut off contact.
Police received 42 related scam reports, with victims collectively losing about HK$800,000.
The highest individual loss was for a purchase of 544 tickets for Lau’s concert, resulting in a HK$640,000 loss when the scammer disappeared after receiving the victim’s payment.
