The Police would like to alert members of the public to a scam variant involving the sale of fake Zouk tickets on Telegram, where scammers would request for deposit or advanced payment from victims to secure tickets for entry to Zouk. Since May 2022, the Police have received at least 10 reports involving such scams, with losses amounting to more than $2,300.
In these cases, scammers would post advertisements relating to the sale of Zouk tickets on Telegram chatgroups such as 'SG Clubbing'. The scammers would request victims to make advanced payments for the tickets. Victims would only realise that they have been scammed when the scammers were uncontactable after the transfers had been made.
The Police would like to advise members of the public to adopt the following crime prevention measures:
- Purchase only from authorised sellers or reputable sources. Buying cheap tickets from resellers is risky - If the price is too good to be true, it probably is;
- When purchasing tickets online, use escrow payment options that protect buyers by releasing payment to the seller only upon delivery, where possible. Avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers to the seller as this method does not offer any protection to buyers; and
- Arrange for a physical meet-up with the seller to verify the authenticity of the tickets prior to making payment. Bear in mind that the party that you are dealing with online is a stranger.
If you have any information related to such crimes, please call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000, or submit it online at www.police.gov.sg/iwitness. 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.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Hotline at 1800-722-6688. Join the ‘Spot the Signs. Stop the Crimes’ campaign at www.scamalert.sg/resources/fight by signing up as an advocate to receive up-to-date messages and share them with your family and friends. Together, we can help stop scams and prevent our loved ones from becoming the next victim.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
28 June 2022 @ 8:12 AM