HONG KONG (SCMP): Hong Kong police have arrested five men for allegedly selling fake tickets for concerts by Cantopop “Heavenly King” Andy Lau Tak-wah through different online platforms, with around two dozen such cases reported since last month.
Inspector Tai Kwong-fai of the Kowloon City district crime squad said on Saturday that the suspects, aged between 18 and 45, were apprehended between December 27 and January 3, and that more arrests could be under way.
“The confiscated counterfeit concert tickets were very realistic. It would be very difficult for the average [buyer] to verify [their authenticity] from the font, anti-forgery features and the paper used,” Tai said.
“The swindlers would also lower the victims’ suspicion by meeting them in person for the transaction and providing ways to examine the tickets. These cases are still happening.”
He said cases had been reported since December 17.
Tickets for Lau’s concerts at the Hong Kong Coliseum in Hung Hom between December 17 and January 10 were priced between HK$680 and HK$1,280.
Hong Kong police said the force received 20 reports regarding the counterfeit tickets, with their investigation leading to the arrests. The suspects allegedly sold the counterfeits for HK$2,000 to HK$5,000, involving a total amount of over HK$80,000, said a police spokesman.
The five were arrested on suspicion of obtaining property by deception, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail, and were granted bail pending further investigation.
A police spokesman said the tickets seized during the investigation bore the anti-counterfeit features of official tickets, including the texture, the font, the QR code, and anti-counterfeit labels, which citizens could find hard to spot the difference.
The spokesman also noted that the scammers would usually propose meeting the victims to complete the transaction and verify the tickets, thereby gaining their trust.
“Members of the public should not purchase event tickets through non-official means or without knowing their origins,” the spokesman added.
