There will be several upcoming concerts over the next few months by K-pop stars such as IU and BTS. Between January to June 2018, the Police received at least 85 reports of e-commerce scams involving the sale of concert tickets. The victims either did not receive the tickets or received fake or invalid tickets after payments were made.
Members of the public are advised to adopt the following crime prevention measures:
- Don’t be impulsive – Be wary of online advertisements of concert/show tickets at cheap prices that sound too good to be true! Do not buy on impulse. Read the reviews of the seller before committing to a purchase.
- Don’t believe – Scammers may use a local bank account or provide a copy of a NRIC/driver’s licence to make you believe that they are genuine sellers. Do not fall for it!
- Don’t give – As you are dealing with strangers, avoid making payments or deposits in advance. Try to use shopping platforms/arrangements that release your payment to the seller only upon receipt of the item. Alternatively, arrange to meet the seller and pay only after collecting your tickets. Bear in mind that the tickets may still be invalid (e.g. duplicated tickets) upon entry. You are therefore advised to purchase only from authorised sellers.
To seek scam-related advice, you may call the National Crime Prevention Council’s anti-scam helpline at 1800-722-6688 or go to www.scamalert.sg. Share this advisory with your family and friends to prevent them from being the next victim of scam.
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
15 October 2018 @ 2:05 PM
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
15 October 2018 @ 2:05 PM