The Police would like to warn the public of a surge in concert ticket scams involving K-pop group Seventeen. Since 13 November 2024, at least 39 reports were lodged, with total losses amounting to at least $28,000. Public vigilance is key as scammers are likely to tap on the series of upcoming concerts featuring artistes such as 2NE1, JJ Lin, and Mayday, to perpetuate concert ticket scams.
In this variant, victims would come across listings of concert tickets on online platforms such as X and Xiaohongshu. These victims would then contact the scammer directly via in-app messengers to purchase the tickets. Victims were told to transfer money via PayNow or bank transfer. Upon making payment, scammers would request for additional payments on the pretext of not receiving the money as victims did not indicate their name in the remarks when making the payment. Scammers would eventually either:
- Delay the delivery of tickets and become uncontactable; or
- Provide invalid e-tickets to the victims.
The Police would like to advise members of the public to adopt the following precautionary measures:
- 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
03 December 2024 @ 7:00 PM