Public advised against falling for online scams for concert tickets

KUALA LUMPUR: Two online ticketing agents want the public to be wary of third parties offering concert tickets after their agencies' names were used in an online scam to dupe buyers into buying tickets.
Ticket Charge chief executive officer Kinnix Chan said that as one of the many authorised ticketing agents for numerous events, exhibitions and concerts, customers should refer to them before buying tickets.
"We are generally hired by the organisers of the concert to be the ticketing agent for a particular show. Therefore we are the only point of reference when it comes to ticket sales, availability, discounts and prices," she told reporters at Wisma MCA here, today.
Fellow ticketing agency Star Planet Sdn Bhd general manager Elise Kee said that the public should always visit the agencies' websites or call their hotline for verification regarding ticket sales and purchase activities.
Their advice came after two individuals, an accountant and college student, fell into an online scam after they were duped into paying RM2,908 and RM1,560 respectively to purchase separate concert tickets of Korean-Chinese band Exo and South Korean singer Hwang Chi-yeul that they never received.
The first victim Pek Kae Shin, 32, said that she was first approached by a person via Facebook after posting a comment on the Star Planet Official Facebook page of her intention to purchase two tickets for the Exo concert to be held on March 17 at Stadium Merdeka.
"On Dec 28, I received a private message via Facebook from the person regarding the availability of the tickets. The person going by the name Wang alleged that she worked for Star Planet and offered first row of VVIP tickets for sale to me," she said.
Pek then ordered two tickets for the said concert which cost RM727 each before transferring the money to a local bank account.
While initially in doubt, the person convinced Pek with several bank slips, purportedly of other customers, to gain her trust.
"On the same day, after I had banked in RM1,454 to the local bank account, I received a call from a man saying that he was Wang's friend.
"He instructed me to bank in the same amount again to another local bank account after claiming that Wang forgot to bring her ATM card," she said.
Pek complied after Wang claimed that the amount will be reimbursed within 15 minutes. Following the transaction, Pek realised that Wang had unfriended her on Facebook with her number being unreachable.
Under similar circumstances, 19-year-old Chang Hui Xin met the same fate after she had initially posted the sale of her VVIP ticket for Hwang Chi-yuel concert to be held on Jan 21 at Genting Highlands on Facebook.
Approached by a person via Facebook, the individual offered to buy the ticket with the condition that she purchased two more VVIP tickets worth RM787 each from an individual claiming to be working at Star Planet.
Upon receiving payment from Chang, the individual became unreachable.
Both Pek and Chang have since lodged police reports following the scam.
MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong who highlighted both cases said that both victims were believed to have been lured into purchasing the tickets by a new syndicate.
"Their modus operandi is to follow postings by users on authorised ticketing agencies' Facebook page, before luring them with offers to buy tickets.
"They target the victims by contacting them and posing as employees of the ticketing agencies," he said.
Stating that three individuals had nearly been duped by the same parties, Chong appealed on those who have experienced similar incidents to come forward.