Alleged ticket scam involving 60 fans mars Korean band's first concert in Singapore

More than 60 fans have claimed that they are victims of a scam after buying invalid tickets to Korean rock band Wave To Earth's first concert in Singapore.

The band performed at the Capitol Theatre on Monday (March 4).

Among them is PR consultant Chong Yoke Ming, 30. He told AsiaOne that he and his friend, along with dozens other fans, were denied entry into the venue. They had all bought tickets from the same seller. 

The concert was announced on Dec 7 last year and the tickets - priced between $120 and $270 - were snapped up in four days.

Chong did not manage to get tickets then but was desperate to see the band in the flesh. So he contacted a seller on Telegram last December.

"He told me he was selling two tickets, each with a value of $140, at $200 after breaking up with his girlfriend," he recounted, adding that he believed the seller was legitimate.

After transferring $200 to the seller through PayNow, Chong was sent the e-tickets via Telegram. 

But when the seller deleted his Telegram account after he paid for the tickets, Chong became suspicious.

"At that point, I told my friend to be mentally prepared that it might be a scam.

Chong's fears came true when he was told by the staff at Capitol Theatre that his tickets were not valid.

The next day, Chong joined a Telegram group chat with more than 60 fans, who all said they had also bought invalid tickets from the same seller. They claimed they were told the same "sob breakup story".

Their losses are between $300 and $600, Chong said. 

He added: "The mood among the fans in the group is more of anger than sadness now. Several of them knew that they were scammed before the show. But some, who didn't know their tickets were fake, were looking forward to the show and dressed up nicely for it."

"A number of fans have made police reports. I haven't done so as I think one more report wouldn't make too much of a difference."

Concert ticket fraud has made headlines recently. At least 334 victims have fallen prey to scams involving the sale of Taylor Swift tickets, with losses amounting to  $213,000, the police said in a statement released on March 1. 

The police advise members of the public to adopt precautionary measures when buying concert tickets from third-party resellers. 

Members of the public are also encouraged to download the ScamShield App to protect themselves from scam calls and SMSes. 

AsiaOne has contacted the police for comment.

ALSO READ: 'So heartbroken': Swiftie flying to Singapore from Philippines for concert in tears over alleged ticket scam

chingshijie@asiaone.com