The Police would like to remind members of the public to be discerning online shoppers, especially when purchasing concert tickets from third-party resellers. The Police have observed an uptick in scams involving the sale of concert tickets featuring international artistes such as Andy Lau and 2NE1. Since October 2024, at least 92 cases were reported, with total losses amounting to at least S$66,000.
In this scam variant, victims would react to advertisements or listings of concert tickets for sale posted on online platforms such as Telegram, Carousell, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Xiaohongshu. Payments are usually made via PayNow or bank transfers.
Victims would realise that they had been scammed when the scammers became uncontactable or did not deliver the tickets. Some victims who received their electronic or physical tickets would only realise that they had been scammed when these tickets were found to be invalid on the day of the concerts.
The Police would like to advise members of the public to adopt the following precautionary measures to avoid falling for scams:
- ADD – Add the ScamShield app and set security features (e.g. set up transaction limits for internet banking transactions / credit/debit card transactions, enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), Multifactor Authentication for banks and e-wallets, use the Money Lock feature of your bank to “lock up” a portion of your money so that it cannot be transferred out digitally by anyone, further protecting your savings from scams). Do not send money to anyone you do not know or have not met in person before. Do not disclose your bank / card details and One-Time Passwords (OTPs) to anyone.
- CHECK – Check for scam signs with official sources such as the ScamShield Helpline (1799). You can also check the legitimacy of suspicious messages, phone numbers and website links via the ScamShield app or visit the ScamShield website at www.scamshield.gov.sg. Do not purchase tickets from third-party resellers. Purchase only from authorised sellers and legitimate ticket marketplaces / resellers.
- TELL – Tell the authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report the fraudulent advertisements or listings to the respective platforms.
If you have any information relating to such crimes or if you are in doubt, please call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/i-witness. All information will be kept strictly confidential. If you require urgent Police assistance, please dial ‘999’.
For more information on scams, members of the public can visit www.scamshield.gov.sg or call the ScamShield Helpline at 1799. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community!
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
17 October 2024 @ 8:45 PM