Posters of Andy Lau’s concert outside the Hong Kong Coliseum. - Photo: Edmond So/SCMP
HONG KONG (SCMP): 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.
Before this week’s crackdown, Hong Kong arrested five other men for selling counterfeit tickets to Cantopop singer Andy Lau’s concert. - Photo: Handout
Police launched operations across the city on Wednesday and Thursday, arresting seven men and six women aged 19 to 56 on charges including conspiracy to defraud, obtaining property by deception and money laundering.
The arrested individuals included three masterminds: a 28-year-old male construction worker, a 26-year-old unemployed man and a 41-year-old housewife, who controlled the online shopping platform accounts.
Other arrestees included key syndicate members and holders of stooge accounts.
Officers also discovered the stooge accounts were used to launder over HK$22 million in suspected crime proceeds.
During the operation, police seized several mobile phones and phone cards.
All suspects remained detained, with their connections still under investigation.
Police urged the public to buy event tickets only through official channels and from reputable sellers when shopping online, as well as to complete transactions in person whenever possible. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
