The Police would like to remind the public to be discerning online shoppers, especially when purchasing concert tickets from online third-party resellers, as several concerts featuring popular international artists such as Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, Shinee and Bruno Mars, will be held in Singapore over the next few months. Between January 2023 and January 2024, at least 1,534 victims have fallen prey, with total losses amounting to at least $1.1 million.
Victims would come across listings of concert tickets on online platforms such as Telegram, Carousell, X (formerly known as Twitter), Facebook, and Xiaohongshu. Shoppers may wish to note that in January 2024, the most number of concert ticket scams involved tickets listed on Telegram. Victims who were duped by these listings would then approach the scammers via in-app messenger to purchase the tickets and may be redirected to WhatsApp/Telegram/WeChat for further interactions. Victims would then be instructed to transfer monies to scammers via PayNow, bank transfers or virtual credits (e.g. iTunes cards) to purchase the tickets.
Upon making payment, the scammers would request for additional payments, delay the delivery of goods and/or become uncontactable. For victims who received their tickets, they would realise they had been scammed when tickets were found to be invalid at concert venues or when the scammers refused to provide physical tickets or any proof of authenticity.
The Police would like to advise members of the public to adopt the following precautionary measures:
- ADD - ScamShield App to protect yourself from scam calls and SMSes. Set security features (e.g. set up transaction limits for internet banking transactions, enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA), Multifactor Authentication for banks and e-wallets).
- CHECK - For scam signs and with official sources (e.g., visit www.scamalert.sg or call the Anti-Scam Helpline at 1800-722-6688). Do not purchase tickets from third-party resellers. Use “escrow” payment options that protect buyers by releasing payment to the seller only upon delivery and avoid making advance payments or direct bank transfers as this method does not offer any protection to buyers. Purchase only from authorised sellers and legitimate ticket marketplaces/resellers, such as Ticketmaster as such sites offer verification of tickets and guaranteed refunds if victims receive invalid tickets. Alternatively, request for physical tickets and only make payment after receiving tickets.
- TELL - Authorities, family, and friends about scams. Report the fraudulent listings to the social media sites.
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/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 Helpline at 1800-722-6688. Fighting scams is a community effort. Together, we can ACT Against Scams to safeguard our community.
Annex A
Example of a Conversation between the Scammer and Victim on Telegram ▼
Example of a Conversation between the Scammer and Victim on Carousell (With fake proof of purchase) ▼
Example of a Conversation between the Scammer and Victim on Carousell ▼
Example of a Conversation between the Scammer and Victim on X (formerly known as Twitter) ▼
Example of a Conversation between the Scammer and Victim on Facebook ▼
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
02 February 2024 @ 10:40 AM